Twenty years ago this month, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was published to widespread praise and it quickly found its way into classrooms as an accessible entry point to studying the Holocaust. Yet it was never a story about the Holocaust - rather it was a story about friendship that used the Holocaust as its setting. As its author John Boyne told the Guardian, the book is “deliberately sub-titled ‘A Fable’, a work of fiction with a moral at the centre”.

Nevertheless, this novel continues to be used to teach about the Holocaust, despite research showing that young people can draw mistaken or misleading conclusions from its portrayal of Auschwitz-Birkenau and its depiction of victims and perpetrators.

At the same time, pupils no longer come to this topic as blank slates. With a single swipe, they can access TikTok videos, AI-generated “history” memes, deepfakes and algorithm-driven misinformation. Some of this material is well-intentioned but misleading. Much of it is outright distortion. Increasingly, it reaches pupils before a teacher can provide any accurate context.

This is why the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) has updated its recommendations for teaching and learning about the Holocaust. The historical facts remain the same - but the environment in which teachers must deliver them has changed dramatically.

Two themes are especially noteworthy in the new recommendations.

Teaching the Holocaust: new recommendations

1. Focus on digital literacy

The first theme concerns digital literacy, which is now identified as a core component of Holocaust education. The guidance recognises that pupils increasingly encounter Holocaust-related content online, much of it sensationalised and misleading.

In response, teachers are encouraged to ground all lessons in reputable and verifiable sources, to demonstrate how to evaluate information critically, and to help young learners question the accuracy of images and other digital materials. The recommendations also note the importance of advising parents and carers of younger learners about age-appropriate online resources.

2. Explicit teaching about antisemitism

The second theme is explicit teaching about antisemitism. Although many educators frame the Holocaust within broader discussions of racism or human rights, the updated guidance highlights the need to name and explain antisemitism specifically. A clear understanding of the origin and evolution of this hatred is fundamental to pupils’ comprehension of the Holocaust.

The new edition of the recommendations provides advice on teaching younger learners. For pupils aged 10 to 12, the recommendations emphasise the importance of considering their maturity, emotional readiness and language development. Teachers must ensure that content, approaches and material are age-appropriate.

This guidance also takes account of the increasing likelihood that pupils will encounter Holocaust-related content online. As a result, supporting parents and carers to navigate this environment - for example, by directing them to suitable digital resources - has become an important aspect of effective Holocaust education for younger learners.

Fiction can be a powerful way into historical understanding - but only when used thoughtfully. When novels are employed as a classroom stimulus, teachers should integrate factual sources alongside them and clearly distinguish between imaginative storytelling and historical reality.

The enduring popularity of texts like The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas means many pupils arrive with incorrect impressions that educators must then “unteach”.

The recommendations do not ask teachers to avoid fiction, but to contextualise it carefully and frame it honestly. As Boyne has said, “fiction can play a valuable role in introducing difficult subjects to young readers, but it is the job of the teacher to impress upon their students that there is legitimate space between imagination and reality”. For some teachers - especially inexperienced ones - this would be too much responsibility.

Advice for teachers

The new recommendations offer clear and classroom-ready advice. For example:

• Use reputable, evidence-based sources and consult established Holocaust education providers if unsure.
• Develop pupils’ critical evaluation skills, particularly in relation to digital content, images and videos.
• Check the suitability of images, especially for younger learners.
• Allow time for reflection, helping pupils to process complex material.
• Rehumanise victims through individual experiences, preserving dignity and building empathy.
• Offer varied assessment options, enabling learners to demonstrate understanding in ways that reflect their strengths.

Crucially, many of these skills extend beyond Holocaust education and contribute to pupils’ wider digital and critical literacy.

As the survivor generation diminishes, digital testimony offers powerful opportunities to preserve memory responsibly. Programmes that combine historical accuracy with innovative technology may soon become a central part of how students encounter survivor voices. Whether these tools will ultimately outweigh the risks of a chaotic online environment remains to be seen - but they demonstrate the potential of technology when used thoughtfully.

By consulting evidence-based sources, building digital literacy and framing the Holocaust within its proper historical and antisemitic context, teachers can help a new generation understand this history with accuracy, sensitivity and care. The IHRA’s updated recommendations aim to support educators to move beyond popular fiction and navigate this complex and uncertain digital landscape.

Paula Cowan is a reader in education at the University of the West of Scotland and lead writer for the IHRA’s Recommendations for Teaching and Learning About the Holocaust (2026)

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