Textbooks in Polish schools still contain antisemitic narratives, despite recent improvements, according to a report released Wednesday by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se).
A review of 42 textbooks found that educational content related to the Holocaust and ancient and modern Jewish history had been improved since a previous report in 2016.
However, the report said, “several textbooks continue to reinforce outdated narratives, particularly concerning Jewish-Christian relations, Jews’ place in Polish society, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
IMPACT-se’s research on textbooks measures those used in eight European countries against UNESCO-based standards of peace and tolerance in education. A similar report on Ireland published last month found “a troubling pattern of trivialization and minimization of the Holocaust” and “narratives questioning the legitimacy of the state of Israel and undermine Jewish claims to indigeneity in the land.”
“There are a lot of pleasing improvements in Poland’s textbooks, especially in their growing Jewish content,” said IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff. “However, this positivity needs to be reflected throughout the entire curriculum. It is........