Public schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are not required to include the Holocaust in its curriculum.
Now, they will.
Gov. Tom Corbett on Wednesday signed into law a bill that requires schools to teach students about the Third Reich's attempt to eradicate a race of people during World War II. The legislation also mandates public schools teach students about genocide and human rights violations.
Corbett, who signed the bill at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia headquarters in Center City, said "It's sad that we even required a bill."
The bill's sponsor, State Rep. Paul Clymer, said the importance of educating young people on world history is evident in the Middle East's current crisis.
"Today, Israel is engaged in a struggle against an enemy that has formed to wipe them off the face of the Earth — their words, not mine," Clymer said. "This legislation makes a statement. It is imparting knowledge and teaching truths that are the weapons necessary to defeat tyranny."