HOLOCAUST EDUCATION FUNDING FROM SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT 26th Noveber 2008.

HOLOCAUST EDUCATION FUNDING FROM SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT.

WISHART WELCOMES HOLOCAUST EDUCATION SUPPORT

FIRST EVER FUNDING PLEDGE FROM ANY SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

SNP MP, Pete Wishart, today (Wednesday) welcomed news that the Scottish Government has taken action to guarantee the future of Auschwitz visits for Scottish school pupils to learn about the Holocaust.

The Scottish Government has pledged to provide £214,000 to ensure the flights from Scotland continue. Mr Wishart was the only Scottish MP to go on the visit to Auschwitz this year and has been working with the Holocaust Education Trust and the Scottish Government to find a solution when a funding difficulty emerged.

Mr Wishart said:

“Having seen at first hand the work of the Holocaust Education Trust, it is clear that these trips are powerful and worthwhile, and I wholly welcome the action by the Scottish Government to guarantee the future of these visits for Scottish schools.

“The previous Labour/Liberal administration did not provide any financial assistance for these important visits, and it is excellent to see the SNP government take this initiative. I am delighted that their intervention will mean that the visits from Scotland will continue.

“I trust that all those Labour politicians who chose to play politics with this issue will also congratulate the Scottish Government for their action in providing this funding, for the very first time by any Scottish administration.

”We must ensure that these issues are treated sensitively and that Scottish school children continue to learn the important lessons from one of history’s darkest moments.”