Section 7: Conclusions to Phase 2
7.1 In common with much research examining values and opinions, the results are not particularly clear cut. In some areas, there does seem in less than one year on to be a welcome maintaining of the positive dispositions ascertained in the immediate aftermath of the lessons on the Holocaust. Yet, it remains uneven; much tolerance and sympathy towards minorities is still held by our core sample, although they have 'fallen back' vis-à-vis their attitude towards numbers of minorities. However, in most categories, the attitudes were still better than they had been before the lessons on the Holocaust.
7.2 There is still a worrying hostility towards English people and it is something that needs to be watched and combated, although there is perhaps a need to understand that it is possible that the pupils have a quite sophisticated understanding of the differences between oppressed and oppressors and that Scottish pupils in particular do not perceive English people as fitting into the category of the oppressed. A further factor may be the perception of the Scottish Parliament as an institution for Scottish people, irrespective of their ethnicity (as stated in 3.1.8). Whatever the mix of complex reasons, it needs further investigation.
7.3 In terms of comparing the core sample with their peers, who had not had the opportunity to study the Holocaust, there is evidence, outlined above, that the core sample had stronger positive values, were more tolerant and were more disposed to active citizenship by their understanding of individual responsibility towards racism.