There should be ZERO TOLERANCE for talking down British history. Sensitive subjects like the British Empire should be BALANCED and FACTUAL. (Not completely negative and apologist). It should be taught IN CONTEXT. For example, slavery should be covered in full, encompassing the Roman and Ottoman Empires and the fact that African slaves were sold by both black and white slave owners TO other black and white slave owners. Also for context, the West Africa Squadron of the British Navy and their actions intercepting slave ships in the North Atlantic, leading to the Abolition of Slavery Act brought in by the BRITISH, supported by Prince Albert, spouse of Queen Victoria… Many BRITISH lives were lost doing this so if we are talking about reparations (which we shouldn’t be as nobody alive owes anybody anything) we need to factor in those lives that were lost liberating the slaves. Also the Barbary Pirate raids off the coasts of Cornwall and Devon, and South Wales, whereupon white indigenous British people were taken into slavery by North Africans should be covered in full. Modern day slavery should also be used for context. “White privilege” should be debunked by use of teaching about the children of these islands who went down coal mines and worked in textile mills, many of them injured or being killed in the process. These subjects MUST be included in the curriculum and RESPECT for our part in the Industrial Revolution, railways and later, the internet, should also be championed.
60 years ago history was badly taught and little changed. History at senior school should be taught by people with a history degree and the syllabus should be set by history professionals. The teaching world see history a a second class subject, and support it accordingly
