Premier David Eby attended an event at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver to announce that education surrounding the Holocaust would be made mandatory in BC highschools.
Last Friday, the premier released a statement on the rising amounts of hate-fuelled crimes and violence in the hopes that British Columbians could remain peaceful with one another, regardless of their nationality, religion and sexual or gender identity.
In light of the Hamas attack on Israel, Premier Eby and his government wanted to show the Jewish communities in BC that he supports them.
“For our friends and neighbours in the Jewish community, this has been an incredibly frightening time,” said Premier Eby.
“We have seen a rise in antisemitism in BC following the terrorist attacks in Israel, which evokes the history of persecution of Jews.”
“Combatting this kind of hate begins with learning from the darkest parts of our history, so the same horrors are never repeated. 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,” he continued.
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The Province says that the Holocaust is something that students already learn about, but they are committing to adding to the existing framework to ensure students have a full and well-rounded grasp of what the Jewish community experienced throughout the Second World War in Europe.
The Canadian charity, Liberation75, did a study last year, and the results show that approximately one-third of North American students surveyed believe the Holocaust was either exaggerated or fabricated.
Grade 10 students will be the ones who have the new and in-depth Holocaust information added to their social studies curriculum.
The destruction of Hogan’s Alley, Canadian Japanese internment camps and discrimination against groups like the Muslim, East-Asian, Black and South-Asian communities.
The changes will be added to the 2025-26 curriculum in BC.
Meanwhile, nothing is being added to BC curriculums regarding the ongoing strife between Israel and Palestine.
Premier Eby has also not made any statements regarding the genocidal tactics being utilized by Israel against Palestinian civilians.
