Bipartisan legislation to mandate that public K-12 schools teach a curriculum on the Jewish Holocaust has cleared the Washington state House of Representatives and will now head to the Senate for consideration.
Under House Bill 2037, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), in partnership with Seattle’s Holocaust Center for Humanity, would develop the curriculum, which would be required rather than strongly encouraged.
If passed, the bill would designate April as International Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month and require public schools to conduct and promote “age-appropriate” educational activities that provide instruction, awareness and understanding of the Holocaust during the month.
"The Holocaust was one of the worst atrocities in human history, yet research shows many of our young people don't believe it happened," Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, said in a statement. "That dishonors the memory of those murdered and is terrifying because the only way we ensure that events like the attempted annihilation of the Jewish people and murders of more than six million men, women, and children never happen again to anyone anywhere in the world, is to educate our young people about such atrocities."
According to Couture, denial of the Holocaust has increased in the United States, with a recent poll finding one in five Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 believing the holocaust is a myth.
"I have some concerns with language included in a surprise amendment by the majority party that I believe weakened the bill. Ultimately, I truly believe it is more important that we pass this good public policy to inform and protect future generations and to never forget this part of human history," Couture said. "Knowledge is power, and today, I am proud of what we have done to ensure our young people are educated about the horrific events of the Holocaust that continue to impact our state, our nation, and the world today."
The Holocaust was a state-sponsored genocide by the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945 that attempted to annihilate the Jewish population.
During the holocaust, Nazis targeted other groups including those with disabilities, the Romani people, political dissidents, and gay men.
Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, is a sponsor of a companion bill in the Senate. Before the session, Braun told The Chronicle’s editorial board that teachers should teach about the history and factors that led to the holocaust and “relate it to other, similar situations that are happening in North Africa, happening in China, happening in different parts of the world today.”
“From a historical perspective, you want children to know about it,” Braun said. “But it’s also an important learning opportunity for what’s going on around the world today and really not getting the attention it deserves.”
