Hungary has moved to improve the teaching of the Holocaust in its schools, after parliament, for the first time, hosted a ceremony to commemorate the Nazis' 600,000 Hungarian Jewish victims.

"We recommend that teachers use this occasion to provide a better understanding of this tragic event," Zoltan Pokorni, the minister of education, said.

"It is very important that the schools teach the Holocaust from now on, but we ask for more responsible political behaviour as well," said Ferenc Olti, the deputy head of the Hungarian Jewish community. Members of a far-right political party boycotted the commemoration.