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History lessons
Politicians have called for Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross to disassociate himself and his party from a paper published by a thinktank that calls for the UK Government to remove “Scottish nationalist bias” from schools. The paper has been endorsed by Scottish Conservative MP Andrew Bowie.
It is essential that Scottish history continues to be taught but in a sensitive, unbiased way. It must not be used as an SNP tool to promote their cause. It would be helpful if English children learned some Scottish history, just as Scottish children learn some English history. If English people referred to their James l as James Vl and l that would be a good start. That was the first step towards unity.
Alison M Fraser Smith On the whole I agree with you, However, as a Scot educated in Scotland between 1960 and 1974 I strongly feel that the education I recieved regarding history was one of “poor Scotland always being trod on by an evil English king or landlord”. It was less about empire and more about continued antienglish naratives that in my view continues today in SNP politics. To win at home it is often easiest to blame an "enemy" abroad and the SNP are very effective at that tactic.
Ken Mckenzie Really? I was educated in the 1980s and Scottish history was pretty much glossed over. It was all about the Empire and two world wars.
Claire Bear They don't teach English history in England anyway, it runs like this . . . Romans arrive and civilise everyone but Scotland; Magna Carta; Henry VIII chopetty chop; Elizabeth Spanish armada;
Charles I chopetty chop; World War I win; World War II win and that's your lot – nothing about Irish, Welsh or Scottish history at all.
Lee Thompson Fortunately Scotland is in charge if it's own education system. It's not even devolved – it has always been so.
Margaret Ferguson Burns Absolutely. And protected as unique by the Treaty of Union 1707 along with Scots Law and the hegemony of the Church of Scotland here.
Gerard Keegan It's already well established that the SNP have been rewriting history in our schools. That’s what's sinister! The fact that it's been noticed can only be a healthy development. No need for Ross to distance himself from this paper.
Callum Macpherson Scottish history should be taught in an unbiased way. For example, Culloden was the final battle in a proxy war between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. There were Scots fighting on both sides. That's not how that was taught to me as a schoolkid but it’s my view now.
Bill Mcewan The course of history is being engineered to suit the nationalist agenda. That is why, in Scotland, the age to be eligible to vote is 16, so that the First Minister can get children’s votes fresh from their conditioning in school.
Sheila Glover Scottish history can be taught perfectly well without a nationalist slant on it.
Trevor John Taylor It a bias exists then make sure it’s not an illiterate, uninformed one. Scots (from all social classes) were full participants in Britain’s empire, for both good and ill. Scotland was not colonised (although it was an internally split country – across geographic, religious and economic lines).
Alma Adams Same old imperialist dogma: “If you want to control a nation, then destroy its history.” We’ve experienced the same in Wales when the teaching of Welsh history was virtually banned because it was “divisive”!
Young fans
Brian Pugh
Some schools are letting pupils wear Scotland shirts
to school on Monday to show their support for the national side against the Czech Republic.
My daughter’s school is letting them wear Scotlandrelated clothing, face paints etc and the kids can stay in their class bubbles to watch all of the Scotland game and be collected at 4pm.
Lesley Watt Schools will ban it because the ones who can’t afford one will feel left out. Just like they don’t have winners and losers now.
Lindsay Webb Football colours are not allowed in schools. This should not be change for the Euros.
Pauline Downie They will be wearing uniform. If they're not allowed to dress up for Halloween then this shouldn't be allowed either.
Danni L Campbell Enjoy it – it doesn’t happen very often!
Tim Shields