Australia’s national curriculum is set to undergo significant reforms aimed at enhancing education on the Holocaust, antisemitism, and social cohesion, following the deadly attack at a Jewish festival in Bondi last December. The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has proposed a series of changes that would ensure students receive more comprehensive instruction on Jewish history, the causes and impacts of the Holocaust, and the importance of confronting discrimination and harmful stereotypes.

While the current curriculum includes only a brief mention of the Holocaust in the Year 10 history syllabus, the proposed revisions call for a deeper exploration of Jewish life in Europe prior to World War II, the Holocaust’s causes and consequences, and varied responses to Nazi policies. ACARA’s review also recommends teaching students the “skill of civil discourse” as well as the principle of “individual dignity,” emphasizing the need to challenge antisemitic tropes alongside broader lessons about identity and prejudice.

The reforms further suggest incorporating education on how emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence and media, influence representations of identity and perpetuate biases, including antisemitism. Students would learn how hate and misinformation exploit stereotypes and reinforce harmful narratives. Education Minister Jason Clare highlighted the role of education in combating hate, stating that “there is no place for the poison of antisemitism or any form of hate anywhere in our society.”

These recommendations come as part of the response to findings by the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which has documented antisemitic behavior in schools. Evidence presented during hearings from May to August revealed alarming incidents, such as students creating games that targeted Jewish peers, with one example involving a public school competition to “trip” Jewish students.

The report, endorsed by both ACARA and the antisemitism education taskforce led by former University of New South Wales chancellor David Gonski, will be considered by education ministers at an upcoming meeting. The taskforce was established following the Bondi attack on 15 Australians and operates under recommendations from Jillian Segal, the federal government’s special envoy to combat antisemitism. The royal commission’s final report is scheduled for release on December 18.

In addition to the high school curriculum, the reforms address primary education, proposing that Year Three students learn about the “diversity of cultural, ethnic, religious and social culture” to foster social cohesion and an understanding of national values such as the “fair go.” This shift moves away from framing multiculturalism narrowly, seeking a broader appreciation of cultural diversity from early education.

The national proposals align with recent moves by the New South Wales government, which in 2024 mandated a standalone unit on the Holocaust as part of an overhaul of its history education, responding to rising concerns about antisemitism and low civics knowledge. More than 70 percent of Australian high school students recently failed civics and citizenship tests, underscoring the urgency of curriculum reform to better prepare young Australians to engage with issues of history, identity, and social responsibility.