5,000 signatures reached
To: Gillian Keegan MP, Secretary of State for Education
Black History Is Our History: Make Black history part of the curriculum in all UK schools
The celebration of Black history in Britain should not be relegated to one month a year.
It should be made mandatory across all schools in the UK from ages 8-16, allowing all children to understand that Black people have been part of British society for far longer than some teachings would suggest.
It should be made mandatory across all schools in the UK from ages 8-16, allowing all children to understand that Black people have been part of British society for far longer than some teachings would suggest.
Why is this important?
Black history is our history. Teaching school children the stories of Black people in Britain down the centuries should be just as an important part of history lessons.
Black people have lived in Britain for centuries. Black communities have been on these islands since the 1500s. They include a trumpeter in Henry VII’s court, a seaman in the battle of Trafalgar and soldiers fighting for Britain in both world wars. Britain’s involvement in the slave trade also spanned more than two centuries. Yet Black history is rarely taught in history lessons in UK schools.
In 2013 then Secretary of State Michael Gove effectively made the teaching of Black history optional by removing the national curriculum’s compulsory section stating that students must study the British history of colonialism and slavery.
While the current curriculum gives schools the option to teach Black history, few incorporate it into the syllabus.
Recent data found that less than 11% of GCSE students are studying modules that refer to Black people’s contribution to Britain. Out of the 59 GCSE history modules put together by the nation’s biggest exam board, Edexcel, AQA and OCR, just five reference Black history in Britain.
Failing to teach Black history in schools deprives all students of the knowledge that will enable them to relate to their peers and live in today’s diverse Britain. It also has damaging implications for Black British students, impacting on their own self-identification and sense of belonging.
Click here for our brilliant website packed with stories featuring characters from Black history - and Black future: https://blackhistory.shareyourstories.live
Black people have lived in Britain for centuries. Black communities have been on these islands since the 1500s. They include a trumpeter in Henry VII’s court, a seaman in the battle of Trafalgar and soldiers fighting for Britain in both world wars. Britain’s involvement in the slave trade also spanned more than two centuries. Yet Black history is rarely taught in history lessons in UK schools.
In 2013 then Secretary of State Michael Gove effectively made the teaching of Black history optional by removing the national curriculum’s compulsory section stating that students must study the British history of colonialism and slavery.
While the current curriculum gives schools the option to teach Black history, few incorporate it into the syllabus.
Recent data found that less than 11% of GCSE students are studying modules that refer to Black people’s contribution to Britain. Out of the 59 GCSE history modules put together by the nation’s biggest exam board, Edexcel, AQA and OCR, just five reference Black history in Britain.
Failing to teach Black history in schools deprives all students of the knowledge that will enable them to relate to their peers and live in today’s diverse Britain. It also has damaging implications for Black British students, impacting on their own self-identification and sense of belonging.
Click here for our brilliant website packed with stories featuring characters from Black history - and Black future: https://blackhistory.shareyourstories.live
