Council of Europe says how history should be taught

Council of Europe says how history should be taught

History teaching should be reviewed with the aim of giving pupils "European awareness" that is broad-minded with regard to the rest of the world, the Council of Europe's committee of ministers has recommended. The committee also recommends that each school devote a day to commemorating the Holocaust and preventing crimes against humanity. Taking as its starting point that: "ideological falsifications and manipulations of history are incompatible with the fundamental principles of the Council of Europe", the committee calls on the Council of Europe's 43 member states to use history teaching to promote basic values of tolerance, mutual understanding, human rights and democracy. It warns against falsifying the past for propaganda and distorting historical sources.