FSWC Survey: Majority of Canadians say young people are less aware of the Holocaust than in the past, believe young people are not taught enough about the Holocaust in school

Toronto (March 9, 2020) – A majority of Canadians (54%) agree that young people are not taught enough about the Holocaust in school, according to the results of a random survey of 1,000 people conducted by Nanos Research on behalf of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC).

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Canadian women are more likely (62%) than men (46%) to believe young people are not receiving enough education about the Holocaust, while Canadians aged 55 and older are more likely (64%) to believe this than those between the ages of 18-34 (45%). Canadians from the Prairie provinces (59%) and Quebec (58%) are the most likely to say that young people do not receive enough education about the Holocaust. Overall, Canadians are more than twice as likely to say young people are not learning enough about the Holocaust as they are to say young people are learning the right amount about the Holocaust.

The survey also found that almost two-thirds of Canadians (64%) agree that young people today are less aware of the Holocaust and its lessons than in the past, with only a minority of Canadians (18%) believing that today’s youth know about the same amount about the Holocaust as before. Canadians aged 55 and older are more likely (69%) than Canadians between the ages of 18-34 (57%) to say young people of today are less aware of the Holocaust and its lessons than they used to be, while Canadians from the Prairies (73%) are the most likely to say young people today are now less aware of the Holocaust and Quebecers the least likely (58%).

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The survey findings confirm an overwhelming support in the Canadian population for teaching young people about the Holocaust, with 93% of respondents agreeing that Holocaust education is “important” or “somewhat important.” Canadians from the Atlantic provinces are the most likely (97%) to believe Holocaust education is “important” or “somewhat important, while Quebecers are the least likely (88%). Women are significantly more likely (84%) to agree Holocaust education is “important” than men (69%).

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“The survey results demonstrate the continued value Canadians place on keeping the memory and lessons of the Holocaust alive while pointing to the enduring deficit with respect to Holocaust education that students receive in our school system,” said Avi Benlolo, president and CEO of FSWC. “As an organization committed to closing that deficit by educating our young people about racism, antisemitism and the Holocaust, it is clear that there is much important work left to be done.”

FSWC tracks and monitors antisemitism and hate crime across the country on its interactive website at www.fswc.ca

CLICK HERE to read full survey results.

Media Contact:

Avital Borisovsky
Associate Director, Communications
aborisovsky@fswc.ca
416-864-9735 ext. 29