AUSTRALIA: Academics in New South Wales push for inclusion of Sayfo Genocide in school curriculum

SYDNEY — Following Arizona’s decision to include lessons on the 1915 Sayfo Genocide in its school curriculum, efforts are underway to introduce similar educational content in the Australian state of New South Wales.

The Armenian National Committee of Australia announced that 25 history professors and academics in New South Wales have sent a letter to the state’s Ministry of Education, urging the inclusion of the Sayfo in the annual study plan for state schools. These massacres, perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire beginning in 1915, primarly targeted the Armenian, Greek, and Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) communities.

The signatories of the letter, who are also members of the state’s Supreme Council, advocate for an intensified focus on teaching both the Jewish Holocaust and the Sayfo. The letter, endorsed by 27 academics from esteemed institutions such as the University of Sydney, Macquarie University, Newcastle University, and UNSW, was addressed to Curriculum Officer Paul Cahill and Education Minister Prudence Ann Carr.

“Excluding this topic from the curriculum fails to provide an accurate analysis of World War I,” the academics argued in their letter. “The genocide that occurred between 1915 and 1923 is often cited as one of the first genocides of the 20th century.” They also emphasized that including the Sayfo in the curriculum would not only shed light on Australia’s early humanitarian efforts to aid genocide victims but also reinforce the importance of tolerance for diverse cultures and beliefs, particularly in a democratic society like Australia.