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Dyce Academy receives award from World Holocaust Remembrance Centre

03 July 2019

An Aberdeen academy has become the first school in Scotland to be given a prestigious award from the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre for its outstanding work in developing a Holocaust Education programme for pupils.

Dyce Academy has been awarded the Leaders in Holocaust Education Award from the Yad Vashed World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Israel for developing the programme over the last three years for Basic General Education (BGE) pupils.

The education programme helps the pupils examine how the Holocaust happened and how it can be prevented from happening again.

Yad Vashem is the largest source for Holocaust education, documentation, commemoration and research. From the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem's integrated approach incorporates educational initiatives, research and exhibits.

Councillor John Wheeler, Education Operational Delivery Convener, said: “This is a tremendous achievement by Dyce Academy and a wonderful first for the city and, indeed, Scotland.

“My congratulations go out to the entire school for this truly impressive award and on their outstanding work in helping to ensure the horrors of the Holocaust are never repeated”.

Head Teacher Lesley Adam said: “‘Educating others is an important part of remembrance, so that future genocides can be avoided. The Yad Vashem award to the school is a great honour in recognition of the importance we place on building a strong and inclusive community.

“The young people who are recipients of the award have demonstrated, through embracing holocaust education, their commitment to the values of Dyce Academy”.’

The school’s Holocaust Education ambassadors have attended residential courses in Amsterdam, Berlin and Budapest.

Rebecca West, one of the S3 ambassadors, said “My journey on the holocaust education course has taken me to places that I never thought I would visit, it has opened my eyes to the horrors of the past and made me more aware of why we need to be kinder to people”.