In a landmark decision, the New South Wales (NSW) Education Standards Authority (NESA) has finalized its History Syllabus for Years 7 to 10, incorporating a mandatory study of Australia’s humanitarian efforts during World War I. The new curriculum will be implemented in 2027 and represents a significant step towards recognizing the historical injustices of the Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek genocides.
The updated syllabus will ensure that all NSW students are educated about the pivotal role played by Australians and New Zealanders in humanitarian efforts during World War I. This includes the courageous initiatives that contributed to saving survivors of the genocides perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks.
According to the syllabus, under the Depth study core topic—”Australia: Making a Nation—from Federation to WWI (1889 – c. 1919,” teachers are required to guide students through significant groups, individuals, ideas, beliefs, practices, and events, including Australia’s civic and humanitarian responses during the war.
The Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANCA) was formally notified of this historic curriculum inclusion in a letter from the Minister for Education, the Hon. Prue Car MP, a week before the official release of the revised History Curriculum.
This development follows a motion unanimously adopted by the NSW Legislative Council, which called for the inclusion of Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek genocide education in the curriculum and the establishment of a dedicated museum. It also comes in response to a letter signed by over 25 academics advocating for the curriculum’s inclusion.
Since 2020, the Joint Justice Initiative (JJI)—comprising the leading public affairs organizations of the Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek communities in Australia—has spearheaded efforts to achieve federal recognition of the genocides committed against these communities.
Michael Kolokossian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, remarked, “This marks the beginning of a new era in our quest for genocide recognition. Awareness and education will be crucial in this journey. By ensuring that future generations are educated about the humanitarian efforts during the 1915 genocides, we are also preparing them to stand against future atrocities.”
Scholarship on the genocides, particularly concerning the Anzac and broader Australian connection to rescue efforts in the eastern Mediterranean, has been central to recognition efforts. Notable contributions from the Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (AIHGS), including work by Professor Peter Stanley and Mr. Vicken Babkenian, who co-authored Australia-Armenia & the Great War, have been instrumental in these efforts.
The JJI and AIHGS are committed to developing educational resources for Australian classrooms over the next two years, with the new syllabus set to be introduced in the 2027 school year.
