The Welsh government has pledged more than £320,000 to boost Holocaust education in the country's schools.

Leighton Andrews, minister for Education and Skills, announced the funding for the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lessons from Auschwitz project at an event in Cardiff today.

The project, which more than 16,000 British students and teachers have taken part in since its inception in 1998, takes sixth form students to Poland to educate them first-hand about the horrors of the Nazi era.

As a result of the Welsh Government funding, two pupils from every school and college in Wales will be able to participate in the scheme for the next three years.

Mr Andrews, who met two former participants who are now HET ambassadors at the Welsh Assembly this morning, said he had been impressed by the project.

"The Trust's work enables our young people to explore how latent racism and antisemitism can come to the fore and flourish," he said. "The project allows young people in Wales to consider the impact of intolerance in all its forms on their own communities.

"In a global society it is essential that young people in Wales understand exactly what happened in Auschwitz, and learn from the lessons of the past."

The funding was welcomed by Karen Pollock, HET chief executive, who was made an MBE for her efforts earlier this year.

"We are delighted that the Welsh Government recognises the value of our project," she said. "As the years pass it becomes more important than ever for young people to learn about and understand what happened during the Holocaust."