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 Teaching about the Roma Genocide

 Inclusion of the topic in the school curriculum

According to OSCE, the “Holocaust is a mandatory subject taught in the history curriculum under the topic of World War II. It is also presented in the areas of literature, sociology, and political science. Students encounter the topic for the first time at the ages of 11-12 and subsequently at the ages of 14-15 and 17-18. School textbooks provide photographs, maps, and references to the concentration camps of Buchenwald, Dachau, Mauthausen, and Auschwitz-Birkenau. Some textbooks include excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank and the Third Reich and the Jews, by L. Polliakof and Z. Woulf, as well as excerpts from the testimonies of Jewish Greek Holocaust survivors.

Additionally, the current curriculum, for both primary and secondary education, is aiming to raise students’ awareness on issues referring to human rights and dignity, world peace, cultural and lingual diversity, religious tolerance and religious dialogue, social stereotypes and discriminations, as well, vulnerable social groups.


 Inclusion of the topic in the school textbooks

All schoolbooks have been revised by Institute of Educational Policy, according to the guidelines established by International Holocaust Remembrance Association. History, sociology, religion, as well as, literature school textbooks include personal stories, maps, photographs, that are aiming at giving students’ the opportunity to deal with human rights violation and war crimes. Students though investigating the various aspects of genocides that have taken place in 20th century realize the horrible consequences of hate, intolerance, racism and prejudice and appreciate the value of world peace, democracy and human rights respect.

Teaching about Roma and Sinti genocide.
  1. In the History Activity Book (6th grade of primary school, p. 38) and in the Chapter about World War II, pupils are asked to search on the internet and in particular two sites:

in order to find information about the threefold occupation in Greece. In both these sites reference is made in the Roma and Sinti genocide, in the context of providing an outline of the basic historical elements of World War II and a definition of the holocaust.
 

  1. At secondary level of compulsory education, in the 3rd grade of High School and in the subject of History, there are two specific references on Roma persecution and mass extermination under National Socialism. The first one is made in the context of describing the political dimensions of 1929 economic crisis and specifically the rise of Nazism in Germany and the enforcement of an aggressive racist policy against those who were considered as different (political opponents, Roma and homosexuals), with a particular emphasis against Jews (History Student’s Book, Chapter 9, Unit 42, “The political dimensions of the crisis of 1929”, WW II and Greece”, p. 117):

The second reference focuses on Jews and Roma persecution and mass extermination under the Nazi regime (History Student’s Book, Chapter 10, Unit 46, “World War II”, p.127)

At upper secondary level of post-compulsory education, in the 1st grade of Senior High School (Lyceum) and in the optional subject entitled “Hellenic and European Civilisation” one more reference, similar to the aforementioned ones, can be found. It focuses on the Nazis plan to exterminate all Jews in Europe and Roma as well as millions of people with a Slav origin (Hellenic and European Civilization, Student’s Book, Ch. 7 “The route towards European Union”).

At the same level of education, in the 3rd grade of Senior High School (Lyceum) and in the subject of History (Student’s Book), one reference is made on Jews and Roma genocide under National Socialism within the context of describing a photo from Auschwitz concentration camp (p. 130).

In the History Teacher’s Book (p. 118) in the 3rd Grade of Senior High School (Lyceum) a diagrammatic presentation is included which contains the basic elements of the phenomenon of totalitarianism for the case of Italy and Germany, where a particular reference is made on the faith on racial purity and systematic extermination of non-German minorities (Jews and Roma etc).

Moreover, in the 2nd grade of Vocational Senior High School, in the Subject of History one reference is made (p.122) in the Student’s Book on the Jews and Roma planned and systematic extermination in concentration camps in the name of racial purity.


 Training of teachers and education professionals

The first teacher training seminar was in October 2004 and was followed by the distribution of Holocaust-related teaching materials. This action was conducted by the Jewish Museum of Greece. The museum continues to organize seminars to train teachers annually, more than once every year, in teaching the Holocaust of the Jews and other victims.. In 2012, the museum organised a seminar for teachers on teaching the Holocaust to Roma children during which they were given a tour of the museum and were familiarised with the museums educational activities and programmes on the Holocaust with a view that they may adjust these examples to fit the needs of the Roma children they teach.

All seminars are conducted under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs.


 Particular activities undertaken at the level of education institutions

 

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