Teaching the Rwandan genocide can be a daunting task for teachers.  Many practitioners feel ill-equipped to answer the countless questions which the subject generates, not to mention the moral and ethical dimensions.

‘Lessons from Rwanda’ is a new set of resources which is aimed at the teaching of the Rwandan genocide to pupils aged 14-18.  The resources are freely downloadable and can be edited to suit the teaching of the genocide in a wide range of disciplines and curricula.

Despite this, ‘Lessons from Rwanda’ has aimed to place the genocide in its historical roots and has sought to emphasise the important relationship between teaching the genocide and placing it within its historical context.  The lessons ground the genocide in Rwanda’s colonial past but also explore the treatment of Tutsis in the post-colonial years and during the Habyarimana regime.  They look at the immediate events preceding the genocide and the propaganda that was conveyed by Hutu extremists.

The lessons, as well as lesson plans and activities can be downloaded here from our education section. The resources have been developed by Michael Gray, a History teacher from St Edward’s School, Oxford who is currently doing his PhD at the Institute of Education, University of London on genocide education.

They complement an array of other education packets and lesson plans developed by our education coordinator, Andy Lawrence.