South Central PA News

The Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee has approved a bill that mandates Holocaust education in schools across the state. Introduced by Senator Doug Mastriano, the legislation aims to ensure students are educated about the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights violations.

Senator Mastriano emphasized the importance of this education in light of recent events. "Students need to know the history of the Holocaust so they don’t ignorantly believe the antisemitism we are witnessing is something new," he stated. He further noted, "Ignorance is the fertilizer of fear and hate."

Senate Bill 1100 requires schools to provide instruction on these topics and make related texts and course information available online. The bill comes in response to increased antisemitic incidents following an attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023. This event reportedly led to heightened feelings of insecurity among Jewish students on campuses and threats against synagogues and Jewish organizations.

The proposed legislation tasks the State Board of Education with studying current educational offerings related to these subjects and developing regulations for mandatory instruction. "We cannot afford for Pennsylvania students to be ignorant about history and the ways it is impacting the events we see live on our television screens and read about in the news," Mastriano remarked. He added, "Knowledge is one of the simplest antidotes for ignorance."

Having passed through committee, Senate Bill 1100 will now proceed to the full Senate for consideration.

For more information about Senator Mastriano or his initiatives, constituents can visit his website at SenatorMastriano.com or follow him on Facebook at Facebook.com/SenatorDougMastriano.