The Illinois Holocaust Education Mandate
On January 1, 1990, Illinois became the first state to require that students in all public elementary and secondary schools be taught about the Holocaust.
The law begins: "Every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Nazi atrocities of 1933-1945. This period in world history is known as the Holocaust, during which six million Jews and millions of non-Jews were exterminated. The studying of this material is a reaffirmation of the commitment of free peoples from all nations to never again permit the occurrence of another Holocaust."
While many educators are seeking to develop curriculum and provide resources for Holocaust studies in light of this mandate, others appear largely unaware of its existence. It is particularly alarming to note that a recent Roper survey revealed that 22% of the Americans surveyed were not convinced that the Holocaust ever happened, and more than 50% of the high school students surveyed did not know the meaning of the word "Holocaust."
--Marrietta Castle, HEC Committee Member