UK Schools Dropping Holocaust to Avoid Offending Muslims

[John317]

Teachers drop the Holocaust to avoid offending Muslims

By LAURA CLARK

Last updated at 11:58 02 April 2007

Schools are dropping the Holocaust from history lessons to avoid offending Muslim pupils, a Governmentbacked study has revealed.

It found some teachers are reluctant to cover the atrocity for fear of upsetting students whose beliefs include Holocaust denial.

Teachers fear backlash over crackdown in the classroom

There is also resistance to tackling the 11th century Crusades - where Christians fought Muslim armies for control of Jerusalem - because lessons often contradict what is taught in local mosques.

The findings have prompted claims that some schools are using history 'as a vehicle for promoting political correctness'.

The study, funded by the Department for Education and Skills, looked into 'emotive and controversial' history teaching in primary and secondary schools.

It found some teachers are dropping courses covering the Holocaust at the earliest opportunity over fears Muslim pupils might express anti-Semitic and anti-Israel reactions in class.

The researchers gave the example of a secondary school in an unnamed northern city, which dropped the Holocaust as a subject for GCSE coursework.

The report said teachers feared confronting 'anti-Semitic sentiment and Holocaust denial among some Muslim pupils'.

It added: "In another department, the Holocaust was taught despite anti-Semitic sentiment among some pupils.

"But the same department deliberately avoided teaching the Crusades at Key Stage 3 (11- to 14-year-olds) because their balanced treatment of the topic would have challenged what was taught in some local mosques."

A third school found itself 'strongly challenged by some Christian parents for their treatment of the Arab-Israeli conflict-and the history of the state of Israel that did not accord with the teachings of their denomination'.

The report concluded: "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."

But Chris McGovern, history education adviser to the former Tory government, said: "History is not a vehicle for promoting political correctness. Children must have access to knowledge of these controversial subjects, whether palatable or unpalatable."

The researchers also warned that a lack of subject knowledge among teachers - particularly at primary level - was leading to history being taught in a 'shallow way leading to routine and superficial learning'.

Lessons in difficult topics were too often 'bland, simplistic and unproblematic' and bored pupils.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-445979/Teachers-drop-Holocaust-avoid-offending-Muslims.html

[John317]

Anyone think this is a good thing to do? Will US schools do the same?

[bonnie]

Anyone think this is a good thing to do? Will US schools do the same?

I suspect we will.Islam is a religion that just by mentioning the name,special consideration is demanded.

Their religious beliefs should be respected not catered to.

You can see the same response here.SDA's can chew up and spit out other SDA's.SDA's are often portrayed as hypocrites and far worse. You do not see the rush of other SDA's to let it be known that is only a very few that behave in a less than desirable manner.

If I were to say same concerning Islam the defenders of Islam would be tripping over their keyboards to denounce that idea and me.

Islam as a religion should not be treated far and above any other religion just because they deny the holocaust?

Sometimes the negative response by some towards Islam is not always because of Islam itself but because of the perfection status that has been bestowed on it.

If there is a problem with muslims it is unthinkable that they bear any responsibility for their own behavior.

[phkrause]

Anyone think this is a good thing to do? Will US schools do the same?

Absolutely not to the first past and I hope not to the second part

[lazarus]

Anyone think this is a good thing to do? Will US schools do the same?

I didn't grow up in the USA but I'm sure that US teachers, in the past, have glossed over aspects of American history so as not to offend the majority of the class.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

If they drop the Holocaust, then they won't be covering World War II at all. I can't imagine the US would go along with that.

When I was in school, the Crusades weren't covered until I was in college. I wouldn't expect the Muslim world to teach American History to their grade school/high school students. But the Muslim world and the UK *were* involved in WWII, so the Holocaust should be included in *their* History classes.

I can't understand why the UK is so obsessed with biased history.... But, then, my niece and nephew's US History books hardly touched on George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Thomas Jefferson wasn't even mentioned.

[Liz]

Anyone think this is a good thing to do? Will US schools do the same?

No I don't think it is a good thing to do. But when I was in public school the history classes were taught by the football/volleyball coaches, the whole history book was glossed over because we couldn't have our players fail. So I doubt sincerely if the class will even notice a chunk of history is missing. Especially when you consider that some of those players went on to become highschool coaches and guess what subject they are teaching?

This is just one more reason, on an ever-growing list, why we homeschool.

[John317]

I didn't grow up in the USA but I'm sure that US teachers, in the past, have glossed over aspects of American history so as not to offend the majority of the class.

You may be right, and they may do it now, but during the late 60s when I was in high school, they didn't. Everything was taught-- which is the way it should be, including the fact that our forefathers stole land from Indians, fought an unfair war with Mexico, and made slaves of millions of human beings. It's part of the history of our country, and we're better off for knowing and appreciating these facts. I don't love America and Americans because we're perfect. Parents don't have to turn a blind eye to the sins and defects of their children in order to love them-- they love them, defects and all. In some ways, those sins and defects made us stronger as a nation and a people-- but only if we face them and learn from them.

The problem comes when people are taught that those sins and defects describe everything there is that makes America and Amerians the country and the people we are. To believe this, people have to ignore all the good in American history, good that far outweighs the "bad."

My children recently graduated from high school, so I'm familiar with the text books used in American history classes. One thing I noticed is that there seems to be a "glossing over" of the Revolutionary War and the formation of our nation, the great leaders that we had during that period. I don't know if this is being done so as to avoid offending anyone, though. I hope not.

[John317]

Speaking of glossing over history, my sister took in a Japanese exchange student during the 90s, and I was astonished to learn that she didn't know Japan lost WW II until she came to this country. Her high school history teacher assigned her to interview American veterans of the war, and she was shocked to learn what happened.

I don't know if Japan still avoids the truths of WW II or not. I should hope not. Like someone has said, if we forget the past, we're doomed to repeat the mistakes.

[John317]

I agree wholeheartedly that we have a long way to go to make our educational system do what it was designed to do-- educate our young people. Many are graduating without knowing some of the most basic things about history. It's a disgrace.