Posted April 1, 200718 yr somebody? Schools are dropping controversial subjects from history lessons - such as the Holocaust and the Crusades - because teachers do not want to cause offence, Government research has found. The way the slave trade is taught can lead white children - as well as black pupils - to feel alienated, according to the study by the Historical Association. And a lack of factual knowledge among teachers, particularly in primary schools, is leading to "shallow" lessons on emotive and difficult subjects. Some teachers have even dropped the Holocaust completely from lessons over fears that Muslim pupils might express anti-Semitic reactions in class. And one school avoided teaching the Crusades because its "balanced" handling of the topic would directly contradict what was taught in local mosques. The report, funded by the Department for Education and Skills, said: "Teachers and schools avoid emotive and controversial history for a variety of reasons, some of which are 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." The researchers gave the example of one history department in a secondary school in a northern city which decided not to teach the Holocaust as a topic for GCSE coursework. The report said the teachers feared confronting "anti-Semitic sentiment and Holocaust denial among some Muslim pupils". Christian parents at another school complained over the way the Arab-Israeli conflict was taught. Surely the whole point of history is to tell historical facts good or bad?
April 1, 200718 yr ^ I hope this is an April Fools Joke. If it isn't then it is Political Correctness gone mad or "The nanny state run by Louise Woodward"" © Armando Iannucci.
April 1, 200718 yr Schools and educational establishments relate Empirical FACT! Mosques, Churches and Synagogues relate distortion, half-truths, superstition and downright fukkin' LIES!!!! <_< This disgusts me more than words can say... It's way beyond 'Political Correctness', it's pandering to racism, religiosity and supestitious hokum... This is a step back to the Dark Ages when Churches would ignore scientific facts because it did not fit around their particular dogmas, and people such as Galileo were branded as 'Heretics' and 'Blasphemers'....
April 1, 200718 yr I saw this story on Teletext last night. It really disgusts me as well. Lets only teach about the nice parts of history. We don't want to cause offence to anyone now do we? Pathetic. :arrr: :arrr: :arrr:
April 1, 200718 yr Fecking disgusting, agreed completely with what Scott has said, we can't just leave this for the churches to be told, and anyway, what bleddy 15-year old pupil gets offended by the way something which happened MANY generations before their lifetime is taught? A bloody weird one...as usual, it seems the vocal minority are the ones causing this downright ridiculous measure, it's ESSENTIAL to teach about the Holocaust and the events in Germany after the Nazis came into power, teachers should make it clear to those that express anti-Semitic views that it is unacceptable, we can't withdraw these lessons just because of that because the horror needs to be taught otherwise we'll just have history doomed to repeat itself and half the bleddy kids won't even know the warning signs of what will happen if the BNP get into power with the deportation and discrimination against ethnic minorities that would ensue if the scum ever got into power, a reflection of the few years immediately after the Nazis came into power, students need to know about things such as the Reichstag Fire and plans such as those because I bet my bottom pound that a party will come up soon (if the BNP wouldn't do it) that if they ever came into power would try the same tricks as the Nazis did with the Enabling Act etc., and the students won't have a fecking idea of what they're actually doing - a step back if I ever saw one :arrr:
April 1, 200718 yr how stupid!! if its history then they need to tell everything especially the important things <_< -_-
April 1, 200718 yr So, what kind of History is to be taught then...? That's the question... Well, we cant obviously talk about Napoleon or the Spanish Armada now can we..? We might upset the Spanish or the French... Can't talk about Hiroshima or Nagasaki, might upset the American or Japanese kids... Cant talk about the Roman Empire throwing Christians to the lions, might upset Christians... Or maybe lions..... :wacko: Okay, maybe I'm being a bit sarcastic, but I reckon we all see what silly extremes this might go to....
April 1, 200718 yr is this a fact or a notion that the papers have printed?... historical facts should be taught warts and all.... we are as a nation (as is every country) based on our past, we are what/who we are because of our history, to fail to relate historical facts not only is unjust and unhelpful to our kids but its dumbing down our very cultural roots.
April 1, 200718 yr OFFS!!! Shallow?? shallow??? political correctness creates shallow some bloody horrible things happened a long time ago - many many of the in the name of the British Empire!!! but I didn't cause them - didn't contibute to them - I wasn't around so why should I feel guilty about them?? But then all history is hearsay - a version of what happened? My son's essay on WWII propaganda was questioned ... until he pointed out his source was an 80 year old German! How could the teacher mark him down just because his work didn't match teacher's version of history? Surely a person who was there is a creditable source? led to a very long anorak type debate ...... and my son credited with extending his researc but being advised to stick to syllabus for exam. most effective history lesson taught to 11 year olds whilst studying WWII & how it affected children? one morning I placed a HUGE sticker with a "T" on every child who had a T in their name (about 1/4 of class) These children were not allowed to play at playtime, had to stand at the wall and watch the others, they had to be last in the lunch queue - could not sit down until everyone else had their lunch, they had to stand until all "non-Ts" were sat down. All "non Ts" were told they were not to talk to or mix with the "Ts" Lasted until about 2 pm until all hell broke loose ............... The Ts got how unfair it all was - not their fault they had a T in their name - was their parent's ..... and their friends - shunned them just on my say so - if fact were downright horrible to them by afternoon play By 3.30 all was forgiven - and ALL kids recognised a tiny bit how kids in Germany felt when their Jewish friends were stigmatised. Previously had nobly said NOTHING would make them turn on their friends. Edited April 1, 200718 yr by ICR
April 1, 200718 yr Agreed, it's beyond ridiculous. People NEED to know about the Holocaust etc, because we always need to remember that such things must NEVER happen again. Kids need to be aware. It's disgusting.
April 1, 200718 yr Agreed, it's beyond ridiculous. People NEED to know about the Holocaust etc, because we always need to remember that such things must NEVER happen again. Kids need to be aware. It's disgusting. but it HAS happend again, or dont the bosnians/serbs/tutsies etc etc etc count?.. oh no, they arnt jewish!
April 1, 200718 yr You cant hide or change history, so why not just let it all out? unfortunately thats not true.... throughout history the 'winning' side has portrayed in an infavourable light by their successors.
April 1, 200718 yr It's no bad idea to remove history to be honest. History has become a form of propaganda.
April 1, 200718 yr unfortunately thats not true.... throughout history the 'winning' side has portrayed in an infavourable light by their successors. "History is written by the winners", a very true statment.... Then Post-Colonial studies came along and blew it all out of the water..... :lol:
April 1, 200718 yr but it HAS happend again, or dont the bosnians/serbs/tutsies etc etc etc count?.. oh no, they arnt jewish! You missed out the 300,000 Sudanese as well mate, the one million dead Cambodians, the three million dead Vietnamese, Christ alone knows how many millions of Chinese....... ......And yet all we ever talk about is the Jews.... <_<
April 1, 200718 yr what a PC joke <_< we better remove topics from Geography incase they offend people, and as for R.e> thats walking a bloomin minefield! :rolleyes: and let's remove Trigonometry from Maths because it offends me -_-
April 1, 200718 yr It is pathetic if they drop the Holocaust module. Even in germany they have signs reminding the public never to forget because they don't want it to happen again. So why should we wipe it from our memories?
April 2, 200718 yr It's no bad idea to remove history to be honest. History has become a form of propaganda. then where is our identity? and how disreaspectful it would be to the lads that fought for the freedom we now enjoy. wouldnt omitting history be propaganda anyway? how can you have a society with no roots? and dont you think that schools would be the best place to learn history? they would be the most unbiased unlike some book or tv show.
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