The “Teaching of British History in Schools Bill” put forward on Wednesday could, if passed, go on to be one of the most important pieces of legislation to be passed in the recent history of state education. However, the Bill hasn’t even been through it’s Second Reading yet, and already the criticisms are coming thick and fast, the two most frequent being that, first, there is no point in teaching History to schoolchildren when a a successful grounding in the “three r’s” seems to be too much to ask these days, and, secondly, that this Bill is somehow “unconservative” as it controls what children are taught and this should be the decision of the schools.

I really do beg to differ on this. The idea that the vast majority of our schoolchildren are somehow illiterate is, frankly, insulting. Not just to the children themselves but to the teachers who have invested time and effort into the education process. No, not everyone will go on to be an Oxbridge student, not everyone will write their Magnum Opus at 21, and not everyone will go on to make fantastic mathematical discoveries. This does not mean that they shouldn’t be exposed to other academic disciplines, and one of the fantastic things about History is that, to be successful, you don’t have to write prose worthy of Dickens or be able to perform equations like Professor Hawking – you need an enquiring mind and the ability to follow a narrative. Also, the very thought that Parliament has no right to influence the National Curriculum is ridiculous in itself. Yes, I am a small-state Conservative and abhor the vast majority of Government intervention. However, if it was suggested to the same people who feel advocating the compulsory teaching of History is a “big Government” initiative that, perhaps, we should end the compulsory teaching of Maths or English up to 16, there would be (quite rightly) uproar and accusations of “playing politics with our children’s future.”

Perhaps, here, I should declare my interest – I am a History graduate myself and have often toyed with the idea of going into teaching at some point. The reasons for my personal ambition are the same reasons as I fully support this Bill – I honestly think that History is one of the most important subjects on the Curriculum. I believe, as Andrew Rosindell stated in his speech to the Commons last Wednesday, that we trail Europe with regards to this – we are one of the few countries in the EU not to have compulsory History beyond 14. History equips you with many of the skills you need to go on to follow other courses of study, or to follow many careers. For example, it provides the skills of enquiry, of research and of judging events on the evidence presented to you that is needed to enter the law, or journalism or politics and these skills, once learnt, can even be applied to fields such as science and medicine.

There is, of course, the other element to the argument, and that is that the teaching of History gives young people an idea of who they are and where they come from. I will let Mr Rosindell take over from here:

“…full participation in our nation is greatly aided by a thorough understanding of our heritage and tradition. The study of history helps children better to grasp their own identity, and reading history enables our younger generation to analyse and question the present by engaging and examining what has gone before. Knowledge of the history of our country is so important because it allows people to make informed decisions about the future of our nation. If our children do not know where they come from, how can they possibly move forward? By learning about the rich tapestry of British history, they can identify with the culture and society of modern Britain.”

However, perhaps the answer for why this has never happened before can be found in these arguments – History can help a child to understand their place in the world, and to either accept it, or equip them with the skills to change things and move on. True historical analysis requires students to think out of the box, to question, and entails far more than just jumping through academic hoops. It provides skills for life and an ability to question and challenge the world around you, and provides the knowledge that, if that world is really so bad, it is in your power as an individual to change it. Is this why Labour don’t want our children to study History?

adele.douglas@conservativefuture.com

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