Scotland to fund trips to Auschwitz for two pupils from every school

28 February 2011

Education Minister Angela Constance announced the Scottish Government would pay to ensure two students from every secondary school could take part in the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, which is run by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET). The four-part course involves a day-trip to Auschwitz. Pupils are given a tour of the death camp and then must give a presentation to their schools on their experiences.

Constance said: "Run by the Holocaust Educational Trust, the Lessons from Auschwitz Project is a deep, personal and in some cases, life-changing experience. I hope that many more young people will be able to take part in the coming years and am pleased to announce that the Scottish Government will again be providing GBP 214,000 [US$ 350,000] to HET to run the project in the forthcoming financial year. This will enable two flights from Scotland to run in 2011/12 with over 350 Scottish students participating, and many more in schools and communities throughout Scotland benefiting."

HET chief executive Karen Pollock warmly welcomed the decision: "Thousands of students from across Scotland have already benefited from participating in the project and thanks to this commitment many more students will be able to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, giving them an extraordinary insight into what can happen when racism and prejudice gain legitimacy."

Scotland, which is part of the United Kingdom, has devolved powers, including in the field of education.