Ignoring history

Clearly, when teaching history, some aspects of the past must be discarded. There would simply not be enough time in the day to go through the whole shooting match. The difficult thing is trying to decide which bits should be ignored or very lightly touched upon and which bits should be studied in greater detail.

On the subject of the British Empire (and like it or loathe it there is no denying its importance in world and, of course, British history) it seems that the Government's education watchdog thinks more time should be spent learning about it.

Shocked at the mere thought of it Gethin Lewis, secretary of teacher's union NUT Cymru said:

The British Empire is one of those things that's not seen as a priority, quite rightly in my view, and not all children need to study it.

I disagree with the fellow. Any attempt to study the history of the world that does not give the British Empire its due care and attention is a lesson in a false history.

Mr. Lewis, without a hint of a personal bias or an agenda adds:

It's not important to us in any patriotic sense to learn about 'the Empire on which the sun never sets'.

Because patriotism is not affected in any way whatsoever by the learning of history? Because history should be avoided if it might have a measurable affect on the way children might feel about their country? Because there are no lessons to be learnt from the history of the British Empire? What does he mean?

I'm pleased that in Wales we're looking at Wales in a global and European setting and not looking back to when Britain was seen to be so powerful and everyone learned English so that everyone in the British Empire spoke the same language.

Looking at Wales in a global and European setting eh? Fine. But how can that be done without giving the British Empire a fair old going over? After all, the 'sun never set' on the bloody thing. It must have been quite, you know, big and, you know, it must have affected places like, oh I don't know, Wales, Europe and, you know, the world.

"Personally I think it's a nonsense that we still talk about honours such as the Order of the British Empire."

Like I said, not even a hint of a personal agenda.

No, you can't learn all history. But some of it is so important that to not give it some considerable attention is a disgrace and, for an educator, a professional failure.

There are lessons to be learnt. Facts to be digested. Delights to be enjoyed. Safety tips to be picked up.

For instance does history not teach us that in Chester after midnight, one may shoot at the Welsh, with arrows?

The BBC reports.

Posted by John at July 12, 2004 11:53 AM | TrackBack