UK District schools dropping Politically incorrect topics from History lessons!!!!

Teachers are dropping controversial subjects such as the Holocaust and the Crusades from history lessons because they do not want to cause offence to children from certain races or religions, a report claims.

A lack of factual knowledge among some teachers, particularly in primary schools, is also leading to “shallow” lessons on emotive and difficult subjects, according to the study by the Historical Association.

The report, produced with funding from the Department for Education, said that where teachers and staff avoided emotive and controversial history, their motives were generally well intentioned.

“Staff may wish to avoid causing offence or appearing insensitive to individuals or groups in their classes. In particular settings, teachers of history are unwilling to challenge highly contentious or charged versions of history in which pupils are steeped at home, in their community or in a place of worship,” it concluded.

However, it was concerned that this could lead to divisions within school, and that it might also put pupils off history.

This is one version of this story. The other I read was simply that a Holocaust survivors group is accusing UK district schools of avoiding accurately teaching about the Holocaust and the Crusades because it could be offensive to Muslims. So there might be some legitimacy to this story. If so, it is ludicrous. History is facts. Neither offensive or inoffensive. It simply IS!

Comments

United We Lay said…
It has historically been the teachers that stand up to stereotypes and the lack of knowledge that accompanies these events. The idea that they are staying away from teaching students about some of the most important events in history is disappointing on a level that I can't even describe. Where is this happening?
Rue said…
Sorry,,meant to have that in the title. Blogger's been weird and slow lately. It was in the UK. Frankly I find that the most surprizing as if nothing else WWII affected them directly.
TomCat said…
I think that evasion of hurtful truths is counterproductive. The students will learn of such events whether or not they do so in school. The class room is the place there such events may be discussed openly in a way to try to mediate understanding between divergent groups and free of the cultural bias they are likely to encounter elsewhere.

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