Sylvia Heal

Labour Party | Halesowen and Rowley Regis

Students in Halesowen & Rowley Regis to learn ‘lessons from Auschwitz’

Local MP Sylvia Heal has welcomed £4.65 million of funding, to allow the Holocaust Educational Trust to continue its visits for the next three years.

Two students from every school in Halesowen and Rowley Regis will be able to go on educational visits to Auschwitz to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust, thanks to Government funding announced this week.

Each visit takes up to 200 students from across the country to Auschwitz in Poland, where expert guides and educators from the UK show pupils around the site and let them see first hand where the horrendous atrocities occurred.

Sylvia Heal MP said: “The Holocaust was one of the most horrific events in world history and it’s important that every young person has an understanding of it. Teaching of the Holocaust is compulsory in all secondary schools, but sometimes getting out of the classroom and actually visiting the places where historic events happened can be the best way to truly grasp the enormity of what occurred. 

“That’s why I’m pleased that the Government will continue to fund the Holocaust Educational Trust’s visits to Auschwitz and every school in Halesowen and Rowley Regis will take part. Not only do young people visit the site of one of history’s greatest atrocities, but they come back inspired to make a difference today and teach others about the dangers of prejudice and discrimination.“

The visits, combined with an orientation seminar beforehand where students hear testimony from an Auschwitz survivor and a follow up seminar after the visit, provide a unique opportunity for students to learn about the Holocaust and its vital lessons which remain relevant today. On returning to their schools and local communities, students are required to disseminate what they have learned to their peers through a wide variety of activities and programmes.