Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she of officials in her Department have had with relevant stakeholders on improving the continuing professional development and understanding of teachers in Holocaust education.

Department officials have regular discussions as part of programme monitoring arrangements, with University College London’s Centre for Holocaust Education (CfHE), which receives funding to provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for 1100 teachers in England each year. This programme is jointly funded with the Pears Foundation, and my Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State is meeting Sir Trevor Pears on 2 November.

In addition to CPD events, the CfHE produces teaching resources and lesson plans which are continually reviewed, improved and expanded. The Beacon Schools element of the programme develops hubs which serve a network of local schools, advocate to other schools for better Holocaust education, develop and share improved schemes of work, and will partner with the CfHE to improve teaching standards.

The Department also funds the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ programme for pupils and teachers. Officials have regular meetings with the Holocaust Education Trust who run this. The Lessons from Auschwitz Project aims to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust for young people and to clearly highlight what can happen if prejudice and racism become acceptable.