Holocaust Education – Delivery Requirements

Resources

This page contains links to supports and resources for school leaders, teachers and students.

For school leaders

• If families/students question why it is taught: the Holocaust is a required part of the Victorian History Curriculum 2.0 for Years 9–10 and must be taught in all government schools. It builds understanding of a major historical event and helps students recognise the impacts of prejudice, discrimination, and human rights violations, supporting them to become informed, responsible citizens.
• If programs are seen as political or religious: Holocaust education is historical learning that also helps prevent racism and discrimination. It is not about religion or political views. Antisemitism is taught as one form of discrimination among many, and the focus is not on current conflicts but on helping students recognise and challenge hatred.
• If families/students question the safety of Holocaust programs: just like any other part of the curriculum and in alignment with Child Safe Standard 5 – Diversity and Equity, the school ensures that teaching is age-appropriate, trauma-informed, and supported by clear wellbeing practices. Teachers are tasked with promoting classroom environments where respectful discussion, empathy, and inclusion are explicitly taught and modelled, for instance students are encouraged to discuss any questions or concerns.

For teachers

• Professional learning – see Arc events
• Background reading and viewing for teachers
• Lesson plans – department created Holocaust education Level 9–10 lesson plans. The lesson plans include an appendix on responding to challenging student questions
• Other teaching resources including video explanations, virtual tours, graphic organisers, maps, survivor testimony, imagery, poems, artwork can be found on the Holocaust education Arc learning page

For students

• Museum visits/meeting a survivor – schools can visit the Everybody Had a Name exhibition at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, giving students direct engagement with primary sources and personal histories. Hearing a Holocaust survivor deepens historical understanding and supports connection to evidence and significance. For bookings see School programs