By KEVIN DERBY
Two Democrats from South Florida in the Legislature want to increase the focus on Holocaust education in the Sunshine State.
On Monday, state Sen. Kevin Rader, D-Boca Raton, and state Rep. Rep. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Ration, brought out the “Holocaust Education Act.” The legislation would have the Florida Department of Education create curriculum standards on teaching the Holocaust and have traditional public schools, charter schools and private schools which accept vouchers follow it.
The two South Florida Democrats’ offices weighed in on why the bill was needed.
“Clearly, schools have not been fulfilling the mandatory requirement to teach Florida students about the Holocaust. We need the Department of Education to provide guidance and resources, and we need all schools that receive public money to fully participate in these mandatory programs,” Rader’s and Polsky’s offices noted. “Studies show that vast numbers of children and adults do not have a basic understanding of the events of the Holocaust. The only way to prevent a travesty like it from happening again is to understand what it was, how it happened, and to learn lessons from our past.”
“It is imperative that our young people learn the history and lessons of the Holocaust. As time moves on, we must equip future generations with factual, historical knowledge that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. This legislation will do just that. We call upon our colleagues in the Legislature to join us in supporting this bill,” said Rader.
“We look forward to working with our colleagues in a bipartisan fashion to advance this important bill. Every government-funded school must teach our children about the atrocities of the Holocaust, and they must learn the importance of confronting racism in order to prevent future tragedies,” said Polsky.
