Just not cricket ... the exclusion of Winston Churchill is likely to leave traditionalists aghast. (File photo) (Reuters: Toby Melville)
Posted on 07/12/2007 11:42:03 PM PDT by Stoat
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Just not cricket ... the exclusion of Winston Churchill is likely to leave traditionalists aghast. (File photo) (Reuters: Toby Melville)
Britain's World War II prime minister Winston Churchill has been cut from a list of key historical figures recommended for teaching in English secondary schools, a government agency says.
The radical overhaul of the school curriculum for 11- to 14-year-olds is designed to bring secondary education up to date and allow teachers more flexibility in the subjects they teach, the Government said.
But although Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi, Joseph Stalin and Martin Luther King have also been dropped from the detailed guidance accompanying the curriculum, Sir Winston's exclusion is likely to leave traditionalists aghast.
A spokesman for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority said the new curriculum, to be taught from September 2008, does not prescribe to teachers what they must include.
But he added: "Teachers know that they need to mention these pivotal figures. They don't need to be instructed by law to mention them in every history class.
"Of course, good teachers will be teaching the history of Churchill as part of the history of Britain. The two are indivisible."
Sir Winston's grandson Nicholas Soames, also a Conservative Member of Parliament, described the move as "madness."
"It is absurd. I expect he wasn't New Labour enough for them ... this is a Government that is very careless of British history and always has been.
"The teaching of history is incredibly important," he added.
"If you're surprised that people do not seem to care that much about the country in which they live, the reason is that they don't know much about it."
The History Curriculum Association said it was "appalled" by the move, saying the new curriculum would "promote ignorance" and was pandering to a politically-correct agenda.
The Conservatives' schools spokesman Michael Gove added: "Winston Churchill is the towering figure of 20th century British history.
"His fight against fascism was Britain's finest hour. Our national story can't be told without Churchill at the centre."
Schools Secretary Ed Balls defended the move, saying a slimmed-down curriculum was overdue and traditional elements in all subjects had been protected.
Among the few named figures that stay in the new history curriculum are William Wilberforce, the British law maker who was instrumental in efforts to abolish the slave trade.
Sir Winston, who was British prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955, was famous for his defiance to the Nazis, stirring oratory and trademark cigar and "V for victory" sign.
In 2002, a BBC poll with more than one million votes saw him voted the Greatest Briton of all time.
Two-finger salute to ChurchillBy DAVID WOODING Whitehall Editor July 13, 2007 FURY erupted last night after Sir Winston Churchill was axed from school history lessons.
Britain’s cigar-chomping World War Two PM — famed for his two-finger victory salute — was removed from a list of figures secondary school children must learn about. Instead they will be taught about “relevant” issues such as global warming and drug dangers. Churchill’s grandson, Tory MP Nicholas Soames, branded the move “total madness.” The decision to axe Churchill is part of a major shake-up aimed at dragging the national curriculum into the 21st century, it was claimed last night. But the plan — hatched by advisers — angered schools secretary Ed Balls, who vowed to probe ALL the changes to the curriculum. The proposals will see traditional timetables torn up, with pupils focusing on modern “relevant” topics such as drug and booze abuse, climate change and GM foods. Churchill — voted the greatest ever Briton — goes off the required lessons list, along with Hitler, Gandhi, Stalin and Martin Luther King. There will also be no need to mention the Wars of the Roses, Elizabeth I or Henry VIII. The move left Mr Balls locked in a row with his curriculum advisers. He insisted: “Churchill should be taught to all pupils and I shall be taking steps to ensure it is.” Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said: “Winston Churchill is the towering figure of 20th-century British history. His fight against fascism was Britain’s finest hour. “Our national story can’t be told without Churchill at the centre.” Churchill’s grandson, Tory MP Nicholas Soames, stormed: “It’s total madness. The teaching of history is incredibly important. If people do not seem to care about the country in which they live, the reason is that they don’t know much about it.” Ministers said the shake-up will free up a quarter of the school day so teachers can focus more on individual pupil needs. All subjects for 11 to 14-year-olds face an overhaul. ENGLISH: Lessons must focus on reading and writing accurately and speaking clearly. Classic and modern literature will be a must. Recommended authors will include Jane Austen, George Orwell and Alan Bennett. Pupils must study at least one Shakespeare play. SCIENCE: Touchy issues such as genetic engineering of plants and animals and use of nuclear power are added. Kids will also learn about the effects of drugs such as booze, cigarettes and cannabis, sexual health and infection. MATHS: Personal finance, such as how to manage a bank account and work out credit card interest will be added to algebra, linear equations and ratios. HISTORY: Will still focus on major events in Britain, Europe and the world, including both world wars, the Holocaust, and the British Empire. Visits to museums, galleries and historical sights are a must. MODERN LANGUAGES: Schools will be able to stop teaching French, German and Spanish and offer other languages, including Urdu, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority boss Ken Boston said the changes would equip young people “with the skills for life and work in the 21st century”. A spokesman said changes would not be radical, adding: “Anne Boleyn will still be beheaded, the Pennines will remain the backbone of England and Romeo will still fall in love with Juliet.” Headteachers last night said that the reforms were “a move in the right direction”. |
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As a young man he made this observation.........
How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.…A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.
Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities ... but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilisation of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilisation of ancient Rome. [The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pp. 248-50.]
Then why are you splitting them apart?
Think it hasn't happened here? Get a hold of your kids history books and take a good look.
As far back as the early 80's, when I was active with groups around the country fighting government intrusion into the family and the dumbing down/socialism in our school rooms, a new 5th grade history book hit the schools with 5 1/2 pages and photos of = Marilyn Monroe. And one small, derogatory paragraph on George Washington. (for one small example)
How can you teach about WW11 and not include Churchill???
Although your essential and entirely relevant question isn't dealt with directly in either of the two posted article, one might infer an answer from this quote from the Sun article:
MODERN LANGUAGES: Schools will be able to stop teaching French, German and Spanish and offer other languages, including Urdu, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority boss Ken Boston said the changes would equip young people “with the skills for life and work in the 21st century”.
I've never been one to use the word "madness" but Sir Winston's grandson was right on in using it here.
Well, yes, if Kyoto goes through. Corporations will move their business to the third world countries and countries like China because they will not be required to sign on. (I guess alGore has invented a way for those countries to keep their polluted air inside their borders)
Anyway, the big guys will set up in the those countries where they can pollute to their hearts content - and so, of course, it makes sense for kids to learn these third world languages so they can go get jobs there, rather than the languages most spoken in the civilized world... sarq
ping
God forbid we should learn about dictators and the people who stood up to them. Might give the unwashed ideas.
They have no pride left...and they had so much to be proud of.
Looks like preparation for dhimitude to me. The west deserves to die if the masses allow these ignorant educated slobs run the world.
My father-in-laws folks immigrated from England around 1915 and he was born here, all three must be turning in their graves. They were all so proud of Churchill and the English for the way they fought the Germans and stood up in the blitz.
Maybe it’s for the best. /s
After all, there hardly a man left in England with the balls of Churchill.
How can you teach about WW11 and not include Churchill???
My guess would be that any remaining 'instruction' pertaining to WW2 would be couched in the notion that Great Britain was a co-aggressor and was ultimately responsible for the conflict, just as the Socialist idiots over on this side of the pond would prefer that people blame the United States (and President Bush, but of course not Clinton, Carter, etc. ) for 9/11 and the War On Terror (although of course they would prefer that the term " war on terror" not be used and instead be replaced with "The Glory Of Islam's Rise And Justified Defense Against Aggressor Nations")
No, (and I realize this isn’t a tech board), but it’s more important to teach students how to handle a modern computer algebra system (CAS) e.g., Mathematica, Maple, MatLab.
Who, in this age, does Gauss-Jordan elimination by hand calculation to invert a matrix and/or solve a system of linear equations?
Personal fiance or how to manage a checking account should be let to another class.
I didn’t know who Alan Bennett is.
Many of Bennett’s characters are unfortunate and downtrodden, or meek and overlooked. Life has brought them to an impasse, or else passed them by altogether. In many cases they have met with disappointment in the realm of sex and intimate relationships, largely through tentativeness and a failure to connect with others.
As for Urdu.
Standard Urdu has approximately the twentieth largest population of native speakers, among all languages. It is the national language of Pakistan as well as one of the 23 official languages of India.
Is this some kind of sick joke?
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