Victorian schools are to receive additional support to teach students about the Jewish Holocaust and help stamp out antisemitism due to an expanded partnership between the Department of Education and Training and Gandel Philanthropy.
Minister for Education, James Merlino said 110 teaching teams at Government secondary schools were to undertake a professional learning program run by the Jewish Holocaust Centre before the end of 2022, joining 40 schools already scheduled to undertake the program this year.
Mr Merlino said the 10-step program involved virtual and face-to-face components, including staff from the Jewish Holocaust Centre visiting schools to support curriculum review and planning.
“This expansion builds on last year’s pledge to ensure Holocaust education in every secondary school, as well as new and updated teaching and learning resources to be developed in partnership with Victorian Jewish community organisations and Gandel Philanthropy,” Mr Merlino said.
“The program uses these resources to help recognise the short and long-term causes and effects of prejudice, discrimination and, ultimately, genocide,” he said.
“It teaches students to become informed and active citizens, protect democracy, and value a diverse and inclusive society.”
Mr Merlino said the new resources were already available to schools.
“Anti-Semitism is on the rise both abroad and at home – you only have to look to the wicked bigotry we saw in the Grampians last month to see the evidence,” the Minister said.
“Anti-Semitism hurts the Jewish community deeply, and it offends all of us,” he said.
