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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Historians attack Michael Gove over 'narrow' curriculum | Historians attack Michael Gove over 'narrow' curriculum |
| (7 months later) | |
| Education secretary Michael Gove has been savaged by learned societies, academics and even one of his own advisers for devising a new national history curriculum that is narrowly and exclusively focused on Britain. | Education secretary Michael Gove has been savaged by learned societies, academics and even one of his own advisers for devising a new national history curriculum that is narrowly and exclusively focused on Britain. |
| In a letter in the Observer signed by the presidents of the Royal Historical Society, the Historical Association, the higher education group History UK and senior members of the British Academy, Gove is condemned for drawing up the curriculum without substantive consultation with teachers and academics. They say that the curriculum as it stands fails to recognise that learning about the past of other peoples is "as vital as knowledge of foreign languages to enable British citizens to understand the full variety and diversity of human life". | In a letter in the Observer signed by the presidents of the Royal Historical Society, the Historical Association, the higher education group History UK and senior members of the British Academy, Gove is condemned for drawing up the curriculum without substantive consultation with teachers and academics. They say that the curriculum as it stands fails to recognise that learning about the past of other peoples is "as vital as knowledge of foreign languages to enable British citizens to understand the full variety and diversity of human life". |
| Steven Mastin, head of history at a school in Cambridge, who worked alongside historian Simon Schama as an adviser to Gove, said the curriculum bore "no resemblance" to the drafts he worked on as late as last month. Mastin said he approved of Gove's aims in revamping the curriculum, but the proposed version failed to offer children the broad and balanced education that had been promised. | Steven Mastin, head of history at a school in Cambridge, who worked alongside historian Simon Schama as an adviser to Gove, said the curriculum bore "no resemblance" to the drafts he worked on as late as last month. Mastin said he approved of Gove's aims in revamping the curriculum, but the proposed version failed to offer children the broad and balanced education that had been promised. |
| Mastin, who stood for the Tories at the last general election, said: "Between January and the publication of this document – which no one involved in the consultation process had seen – someone has typed it up and I have no idea who that is. It would be scary if we become the only nation in the western world to not teach anything beyond our shores." | Mastin, who stood for the Tories at the last general election, said: "Between January and the publication of this document – which no one involved in the consultation process had seen – someone has typed it up and I have no idea who that is. It would be scary if we become the only nation in the western world to not teach anything beyond our shores." |
| He added: "Children are expected to understand the complex problems of democracy, nation and civilisation by the age of six." | He added: "Children are expected to understand the complex problems of democracy, nation and civilisation by the age of six." |
| An education department spokeswoman said the curriculum was open for consultation for 10 weeks, adding that it "goes beyond Britain, covering European and world history". | An education department spokeswoman said the curriculum was open for consultation for 10 weeks, adding that it "goes beyond Britain, covering European and world history". |
| • This article was amended on Sunday 17 February 2013 to correct the spelling of Steven Mastin's name. | • This article was amended on Sunday 17 February 2013 to correct the spelling of Steven Mastin's name. |
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