UK teachers avoid Holocaust history
Historical Association study says many British teachers avoid teaching about the Holocaust because it may cause classroom controversy
"Staff may wish to avoid causing offence or appearing insensitive to individuals or groups within their classes. In particular settings, teachers of history are unwilling to challenge highly contentious or charged versions of history in which pupils are steeped at home, in their community or in a place of worship," concluded the study, carried out by the Historical Association and funded by the Ministry of Education.
The study's delicate wording indicates that its authors, too, wished to avoid causing offense.
The study also reported that some teachers - especially in elementary schools - lack the requisite factual background, causing lessons on some emotional or controversial subjects to be "shallow."
Young Britons ignorant about Holocaust
A poll published by the London Jewish Chronicle two months ago shows that ignorance about the Holocaust is widespread in the UK, with 28 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds unaware that the Holocaust took place.
However, only 1 percent of those surveyed thought the Holocaust was a myth. Just 16 percent of those polled thought that denying the Holocaust should be made a criminal offense in Britain.
