Transformative Transition: The Case for Religious Education in Cross-Curricular Holocaust Education Across the Primary/Secondary Divide in English Schools

Abstract

Richardson explores the relationship between religious education (RE) and Holocaust education in England. He considers the unique nature of RE in the curriculum and the opportunities it provides to host discussions about a sensitive issue such as the Holocaust. Richardson reviews contemporary research and thinking around Holocaust education in England and concludes by proposing a tripartite approach (after Pestalozzi) of Holocaust education as involving ‘head, heart and hands’. He suggests that effective Holocaust education involves knowledge about Judaism, emotional engagement with those affected by the Holocaust and actional/pre-dispositional responses to the event.