His island story
Civitas, 7 October 2010
What makes history? Is it war, necessity of change or great individuals? According to the Conservatives, it is the latter and one particular individual will ‘make’ history for the nation’s schoolchildren: Simon Schama. The Education Secretary, Michael Gove, has announced that he wants Schama to rewrite the history syllabus to teach more British history. Gove’s aim may be laudable, but choosing just one man to steer this overhaul of the curriculum is a concession to celebrity culture too far.
History is a powerful thing; and this is especially true of the history taught to young children who accept what they are told at face value. Being informed at primary school that the Industrial Revolution was greatest thing to happen to Britain since the Magna Carta is a hard lesson to unlearn later, especially when it is presented as fact rather than opinion. Schama’s new position will give him huge influence over the mindset of children, but to present a single person’s interpretation of Britain’s past as absolute would be plain wrong.
Schama is probably best known for his TV series ‘A History of Britain’ and the importance is in the name: it wasn’t called ‘A History’ for nothing. The professor from Columbia admitted quietly at the time of its production that the programme was his personal interpretation and that there were of course alternative views. This declaration is critical, and yet greatly at risk of being overlooked by the Conservatives and the academic himself if the syllabus is set by Schama alone.
Schama should have stuck to the principles he had 10 years ago and declined the Conservatives’ offer or at least ensured the involvement of many other academics who, whilst perhaps not as famous as the TV historian, are highly qualified in their relevant subjects. A team of great minds, all contributing their own knowledge to the project and overseen by Schama could be a good solution to produce a beneficial outcome.
Simon Schama’s skill is making history accessible, but if he tries to cover the whole of British history, his syllabus would only achieve a cursory glance and cover obvious points. It is true that the lesson plans will be for pre-GCSE students, not those taking degrees, but shouldn’t their basic knowledge of Britain’s past go beyond the basics of our island story and delve into deeper issues? It would do no good to state that the Civil War merely happened without actually considering why, but Schama’s whistle-stop history tour may give no time for this. Having a shallow appreciation for Britain’s history is almost as bad as having none at all.
Picking famous individuals to prop up political regimes is an old trick, last used very visibly by Labour in 2009 when the now Lord Alan Sugar was made ‘Business Tsar’. It emerged earlier this week that Sugar was told ‘you’re fired’ by Cameron, but the cult of the celebrity advisor lives on. For example, James Dyson is now ‘Technology Tsar’, so adding Simon Schama to the list is perhaps an unsurprising, move. The main issue though is the lack of scrutiny these figures receive once they are handed reins of power. Dyson’s report on manufacturing was adopted very quickly as Tory dogma and without a critical eye. Schama’s output would need a close inspection, not just by Gove, but his peers and the teachers who would have to implement it.
Of course, Schama must be credited with contributing a lot to the popularisation of history, but to appoint him on this basis is tokenistic. What actually qualifies Schama for this job, other than the fact he is a household name? His appointment runs through the same logic as Jamie Oliver’s appointment to revolutionise school dinners. They have both complained about something in schools and so have been given the chance to change it. While pro-activism is commendable, perhaps the biggest surprise in Gove’s choice was that he didn’t select other known names as well. David Starkey comes to mind, and is perhaps more qualified, given that he specialises in Tudor history as opposed to art history like Schama.
Schama has accepted the position, but the Conservatives must ensure that he acts responsibly in the role. Gove must make him act as a facilitator, not a dictator of the new syllabus. Ideally Schama should listen to the unending arguments of high-flying academics and their lofty debates, then make these historical powerhouses understandable to children – to teach something more than just stories. You never know – it might just lead to another TV series…