According to a prominent historian, “a lot less English history” would be a “great boon” for UK schools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the Petworth Festival literary week, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 57, author of Jerusalem: The Biography and The World: A Family History of Humanity, argued for students to learn more about other countries’ histories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learning about history from around the world, according to Dr Montifore, will “give Britain perspective and understanding.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stated that it would help inform ongoing debates about the British past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Much of the debate in Britain, both in the syllabus and in the debate itself, is extremely parochial, little Englander,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I mean not just those who claim the empire was the greatest thing that ever happened, but also those who claim it was the greatest crime ever committed.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He believes that teaching world histories is essential for understanding how the world works today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He mentioned the Congo’s Great African War, which began in the late 1990s but “has taken place without anyone in England knowing or even [having] talked about it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Between 1998 and 2003, the Great African War was the deadliest conflict since 1945, killing five million people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Debates over history teaching in UK schools have recently heated up, owing largely to disagreements over the legacy of the British Empire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ministers from the Department for Education have also argued for a more diverse history curriculum in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
According to a prominent historian, “a lot less English history” would be a “great boon” for UK schools. At the Petworth Festival literary week, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 57, author of … <\/p>\n