Hillsborough disaster: Hundreds of pupils taught about 1989 tragedy

School pupils are being taught about the 1989 disaster

A project aimed at educating school children about the "injustice of Hillsborough" has been delivered to nearly 500 pupils in Liverpool.

Ninety-seven football supporters died following a crush at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium on 15 April 1989.

The project is delivered by LFC Foundation through workshops and school assemblies.

West Derby Labour MP Ian Byrne came up with the idea and said he wanted the initiative to be rolled out nationally.

In 2016 an inquest jury concluded the football fans were unlawfully killed at Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

The jury also found fans played no part in causing the Hillsborough disaster, which happened following a series of police errors.

Almost 500 children in Liverpool have attended sessions by the LFC Foundation

Mr Byrne said the families' long fight for justice had added significance following revelations around other public scandals.

"There's no reason it can't be on the national curriculum, because it's all about social justice," he said.

"I think a key part of this is future-proofing communities that these things happen.

"Obviously, we've lived through Hillsborough. Just recently we've seen the massive furore around the Post Office scandal.

"Quite rightly, people are looking now at injustices and thinking how do we make sure these don't happen again, and this is why... the Hillsborough Law is key to that."

Newspaper coverage from the time is shown

In December, the government signed a Hillsborough Charter setting out principles for how to respond in the aftermath of public tragedies, including support for the bereaved and a transparent approach to all public scrutiny.

Campaigners had called for legislation to introduce a legal "duty of candour" on public authorities and officials to tell the truth, but the government stopped short of introducing the law and chose to sign the charter instead.

The LFC Foundation said it was on target to deliver The Real Truth Legacy Project to more than 50 primary schools by the end of the academic year.

When Year 5 and 6 pupils arrive at Liverpool's Anfield stadium, they are shown memorabilia related to the tragedy, including a match ticket for the Leppings Lane end and newspapers published in the aftermath.

Workshops focus on three main areas - before, during and after the disaster.

The sessions are run at Liverpool's Anfield ground

Jenni Hicks, whose teenage daughters Sarah and Victoria died in the disaster, said the false allegations spread in the immediate aftermath continued to have a lasting impact in the form of tragedy chanting - a term which refers to football fans singing deeply offensive songs that reference stadium disasters or fatal accidents involving players or supporters.

"I just think that to educate people is to move this forward, by educating the children so that they grow up with the knowledge of the truth," she said.

"The hate chanting has got to stop, it's gone too far now, it's gone more than just jibes and joking, it's proper hate and we don't need that, nobody needs that."

Gemma Smith, head of programmes at the foundation, said 490 pupils had taken part in the "specially designed interactive" sessions so far, which included input from "families, survivors and those who've campaigned for social justice".

Labour MP Ian Byrne hopes the initiative will be rolled out nationally

Pupils are shown news footage and photographs, explaining the events which led to the fatal crush on the Leppings Lanes terrace, and are asked to discuss what changes would have prevented the tragedy from happening.

They are also shown the infamous The Truth headline, which appeared in The Sun newspaper four days after the disaster and ran alongside an article wrongly blaming Liverpool fans.

Ms Hicks said the project was a "great legacy" for the people who had lost their lives, and said she believed it should be made more widely available.

"It's so, so important that every child has the opportunity to learn about the truth of Hillsborough," she said.

"I think because football is a national game it has to go on the national curriculum."