THE THOMAS Hardye School in Dorchester is planning a week of events to remember the Holocaust and other genocides.

The school is holding a Holocaust Memorial Week from February 24 to February 28 to build on its status as a Beacon School in Holocaust education.

On Monday, February 24 it will hold an A-level geopolitics day looking at the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The event will see 80 Year 13 students looking in depth at the events of 20 years ago, which led to the death of 800,000 people in 100 days.

The students will be addressed by senior director of research for Amnesty International Nicola Duckworth, former commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Rwanda and Canadian Senator Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire and international human rights campaigner and Adventist aid worker Carl Wilkens, who helped save 200 orphans during the genocide.

That evening the Thomas Hardye School Community Lecture will also see Professor Richard Overy give a talk.

On Wednesday, February 26 a Key Stage 3 cross curricular day will see 100 Year students spending the day looking at the Kindertransport of 1938 onwards, which saved 10,000 Jewish children during the Holocaust.

The following day 100 Year 10 drama students will be involved in drama workshops looking at real life case studies from the Holocaust.

The school will also host a public performance of the one man show Confessions of a Butterfly, which tells the story of Dr Janusz Korczak’s life and work at his orphanage in the Warsaw Ghetto before he was sent to Treblinka Extermination Camp.

Thomas Hardye School was recognised as a Beacon School in Holocaust Education by the University of London’s Institute of Education for its exemplary teaching and learning about the Holocaust and other genocides.

Lead teacher of the school’s genocide and education programme Kevin Matthews said: “It is essential for humanity to learn from such horrific events which continue to plague our planet.

“As members of a civilised society we cannot remain silent when such persecution and hatred is resulting in mass murder.”

For more information contact Mr Matthews on kmatthews@thomas-hardye.net or 07754 722550.