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| You are here: 2000 / Workshops, Panels and Seminars / Workshops on Education / Workshop 2 on Education, "Teaching in the Contemporary Context" / presentation by Mr. Stephen Feinberg | |||||||||
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Participants Countries and organizations Conference documentation Conference programme 
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Report from Workshop 2 on Education: "Teaching in the contemporary context" Presentation by Dr. Ilya Altman Presentation by Professor Dan Bar-On presentation by Mr. Stephen Feinberg Presentation by Mrs. Myra Osrin Presentation by Dr. Carol Rittner presentation by Mr. Stephen Feinberg Feinberg, Steven Presentation by Stephen Feinberg, US Holocaust Memorial Museum American public education is a highly decentralized enterprise. If one is looking for uniformity and consistency in educational policy, one should not look to the United States. Given the geographic vastness of America, the cultural and historical traditions of its people, and the political process in determining public policy, one will find variation in educational practices the rule rather than the exception. Yet this very condition provides many models for teaching about the Holocaust in the contemporary context. In the United States, it is not the federal government in Washington that determines and implements educational policy. While the federal government does have a limited role in education, a role that is decidedly non-curricular in nature, fundamental responsibility for educational policy and planning rests with each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia. The pedagogic work of the public schools - -fields of study, instructional content, time allocations, specific educational goals, etc.- - is regulated by the states. Some states, through legislative mandates, require the teaching of the Holocaust; other states encourage the teaching of the Holocaust through the creation of state curricula or establish standards that either specifically or tangentially mention the Holocaust. In addition to issues of governance, the decentralized nature of the American educational system is also reflected in issues of funding as well as in the preparation and training of teachers. These factors have led to varied approaches to the teaching of the Holocaust in schools across the United States. This is often reflected not only in educational policy and planning decisions, but also in the variety of instructional materials sanctioned for use in public schools. In addition to commercial textbooks that deal with Holocaust history, there are independent organizations in the United States that create courses of study on the Holocaust that are used in many American public and private schools. This encourages the development of models for teaching about the Holocaust in the contemporary context. Because of the increased interest throughout the United States in teaching about the Holocaust, various public and private organizations, including an increasing number of colleges and universities, are now offering instruction in both the history of the Holocaust and pedagogies for teaching about the Holocaust. Furthermore, the proliferation of museums and memorials dedicated to the history of the Holocaust has influenced the way this history has been taught. In response to the recent interest in the education reform movement, many states have also developed standards of learning that have bolstered teaching about the Holocaust. These standards have also fostered the development of a wide range of approaches to the teaching of the Holocaust. >> Back to top |
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Introduction Opening Session: Messages and speeches Plenary Sessions: Messages and speeches Workshops, Panels and Seminars
Other Activities |
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| For information about this production and the Stockholm International Forum Conference Series please go to www.humanrights.gov.se or contact Information Rosenbad, SE-103 33 Stockholm, Sweden | |||||||||