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British schoolkids believe Auschwitz is a type of beer

by tikun | March 10, 2009 at 02:44 pm

185 views | 40 Recommendations | 7 comments

History is dead in the water. No wonder it keeps repeating itself.

A new study shows that around 10 percent British schoolchildren could not identify Auschwitz as a Nazi death camp, and 2 percent believe it is a kind of beer.

The poll of 1,000 pupils between the ages of 11 to 16 was conducted by the London Jewish Cultural Center and Miramax film company, to mark the launch of the DVD edition of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

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According to the survey, 60 percent of pupils did not know what the Final Solution was, and 20 percent defined the phrase as the talks that brought an end to World War II.

Just 37 percent of the children polled knew that six million Jews perished in the Holocaust.

"We are not surprised by the results, although we are disappointed," said Stephanie Rose of the London Jewish Cultural Center.

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Amy Judd

at 14:49 on March 10th, 2009

I'm sure these results are not just relevant to the UK unfortunately.

tikun

at 14:54 on March 10th, 2009

I think you may be correct. It never stops amazing me that no one seems to understand the importance of learning about our past. Warts and all.

tikun

at 15:02 on March 10th, 2009

Thanks Esta.

Roy C

at 17:32 on March 10th, 2009

The history teachers kill history by making it boring. Over-intellectualized and full of politically correct taboos, they can't let the history be what it really is: the ultimate morality play.

Paschen

at 17:36 on March 10th, 2009

I can hardly believe this to be true for the majority.

mtammas

at 19:59 on March 10th, 2009

I think that this history statistic says more about parents and teachers than it does about students.

Great conversation via comments, my friends.

itslefty

at 22:33 on March 10th, 2009

The same kids probably think Rupert Murdoch and the BBC are the good guys.

Unfortunately education in the UK is more about control, discipline and conformity than anything else, the media are just as much to blame as the teachers.