Australian schools to include history of 1915 Sayfo Genocide in curriculum starting in 2027

SYDNEY — Radio Armenia reported that the New South Wales Ministry of Education has approved a request by a group of Australian academics to include the events of World War I, particularly the genocides of the Armenian, Greek, and Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) peoples, referred to by the Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans) as the Sayfo, in the school curriculum. The decision was made by the Directorate of Education and will become mandatory for middle school students by 2027.

Prue Carr, the New South Wales Minister of Education, had previously informed the Armenian National Federation in Australia of the decision through a letter, a week before the official approval.

The joint initiative formed by the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), Armenian, and Greek communities in Australia in 2020, expressed gratitude for this step. A representative of the initiative called the decision a milestone in their ongoing efforts to achieve broader recognition of these massacres.