Holocaust education to be mandatory in B.C. high schools

British Columbia will make Holocaust education mandatory for Grade 10 students starting in the fall of 2025.

B.C. Premier David Eby says the move comes during a "frightening" time for the Jewish community, citing a rise in antisemitic incidents in B.C. amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war — sparked when Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7.

Eby says the attack evoked "the history of persecution of Jews" and that learning about the Holocaust would help to ward off further acts of hate.

The provincial government says it will expand the required Grade 10 social studies curriculum to ensure that, when learning about discriminatory policies and injustices in Canada and around the world, B.C. students will also learn about the Holocaust.

The Holocaust refers to when, during the Second World War, the German Nazi regime persecuted and murdered approximately six million Jewish people throughout Europe. Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration or extermination camps to be killed with poison gas or subjected to forced labour.

Some of the camps were also used for other groups persecuted by the Nazis such as Roma, 2SLGBTQ people and political opponents.

A 2019 survey suggested that one in five Canadian youths at the time were unaware of what happened during the Holocaust.

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The province says that while many students learn about the Holocaust, more needs to be done to ensure all students understand the topic.

"Combatting this kind of hate begins with learning from the darkest parts of our history, so the same horrors are never repeated," Eby said in a statement before his Monday announcement. "That's why we are working with the Jewish community to make sure learning about the Holocaust becomes a requirement for all high school students."

Eby made the announcement alongside Jewish community leaders, including Holocaust survivors.

Nina Krieger, the executive director of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, said the province's announcement comes at a time when antisemitism is on the rise across the globe and Holocaust survivors are passing away.

"Teaching and learning about the Holocaust contributes to a more cohesive and inclusive society, where dignity and rights of all people are valued," Krieger said.

Eby said the changes will take effect in the 2025-26 school year following consultations with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and other groups.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver said in a statement that the move makes B.C. the second province to add mandatory Holocaust education, following Ontario's decision to include Holocaust education in its Grade 6 curriculum.

Not mandatory in Grade 10

B.C.'s current Grade 10 social studies curriculum includes mention of discriminatory and unjust policies, including the Japanese-Canadian internment, Indian residential schools and the Holocaust itself.

However, Eby said that while many teachers choose to teach their kids about the Holocaust in Grade 10, it is not mandatory to do so.

Beyond Grade 10, a Grade 12 elective called "genocide studies" examines the Holocaust and how ethnic discrimination can result in genocide.

Eby said the move to make Holocaust education mandatory comes after a synagogue in Surrey was vandalized and the Vancouver police said they are investigating reports of hateful comments directed at a West End restaurant that serves Israeli cuisine.

The province says further additions to the Grade 10 social studies curriculum will also be considered "to reflect the diversity and history of B.C. clearly.''

This includes the destruction of Hogan's Alley, a primarily Black community in Vancouver, Japanese internment during the Second World War, and "discrimination against other culturally diverse groups such as Muslim, East Asian, Black and South Asian communities,'' the province says.