Civitas Blog

Imagine There’s No History, It’s Easy If the DfES Tries

In a letter published in today’s Times, a reader from Bristol writes to say that, in a year that sees the 60th anniversary of the end of World War 11, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar -- and, one might also add, in parenthesis, the 400th anniversary of the attempt by religious zealots to blow up the Houses of Parliament! -- rather than being taught about any of these things in history lessons at his primary school, his ten-year old son is being taught about – John Lennon!

Clearly that reader’s child is in urgent need of the same home-tutor as wrote to John Clare of the Daily Telegraph to say she had succeeded in making a keen and eager student of history of a 14-year old girl previously expelled from two schools by introducing her to the delights of Henrietta Elizabeth’ Marshall’s OurIsland Story.

Failing that, let us hope the Bristol boy’s primary school takes up Civitas’ offer of a free copy of the book after it republishes an edition in September.

Better still, the frustrated Bristol father might find a way of persuading Santa to deposit a copy of the book in his son’s Christmas stocking, after the book goes on sale then

For those with similar access to Santa and equally frustrated with what passes for history in today's schools, advance orders for copies of the book can be placed by going to the appropriate page on the Civitas web-site.