S.C. Public Schools to Include Holocaust in Social Studies

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The head of South Carolina's public schools say the word "Holocaust" will be included in the final version of new social studies standards even though it originally was dropped.

The State newspaper in Columbia reports a proposed 124-page revision left out the word, raising questions about whether the Nazi extermination of 6 million people, mostly Jews, during World II would remain a required classroom topic.

State schools chief Molly Spearman says she's "committed to explicitly naming the Holocaust" in the final version of the new social studies standards.

The State Board of Education is scheduled to consider the new standards in September. They're set to take effect in 2020.

The department is accepting public feedback on the proposal on its website through February.