What's happened to teaching British history in schools?

[ffsfindmeausername]

With November 5th now coming up and whilst chatting today with my dcs friends all aged between 10-14 year old, I was very surprised that none of them had any idea of why we celebrate 5th November apart from my own dc. They had no idea who Guy fawkes was or the gun powder plot. they all attended different schools and none of them have been taught this part of British history at school. I remember been taught this and watching educational programmes about the gunpowder plot on the big tv on wheels!
why are our dc no longer taught British history.

My DC definitely learned about this at primary school including detail I didn’t know. It’s taught in KS1.

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zjsqbdm

How do you know they're not taught 'british' history?

For sure. So much of our true history, is not being properly and/or accurately taught to our children. Look at the true history of Empire? It’s still very much white washed, and the true extent of its awfulness not addressed.And yet, it’s a history that has completely shaped our entire modern identity.

What age are your children?

History is taught chronologically. It was part of Gove's reforms. The history is very British btw.

Yes, it’s a really unhelpful way to learn. It’s taught to 6/7 years old in year 1. Most will be too young to grasp that Guy Fawkes probably didn’t do it and was set up as a convienent way to get rid of him.

Both my children know. Dont think they learnt it school... but general culture

My nieces mainly do US history in KS3/4. They have just done Civil Rights and American War of Independence. They had never heard of the English Civil War and were completely shaky on Parliament in general, I discovered recently. Basically thought it was a US style system.

It's a strange decision but it's what's in the curriculum. There's English history in there too but it seems possible to almost exclusively skip it, weirdly.

When I was at school we just did the Romans over and over, so at least there's some variety.

I don’t think they’re is much in pre GCSE history teaching which isn’t British history. I’m off to google to fine out.

Even if they're not taught about the gunpowder plot, that doesn't mean they're not taught British history.

I don't think they learn about The Anarchy (reigns of Stephen and Matilda), the crusades, the Wars of the Roses, the battle of Agincourt (unless they do Henry V) as their Shakespeare play, etc., etc. Again, this doesn't mean they don't learn British history: they just don't learn those bits.

Mine are 6 and 8 and were both taught about this at school.

It was from my year 1 child I found out that guy Fawkes wasn’t the ringleader and that Robert Catesby was - had no idea and I did learn about it at school.

Sorry, I should have made the point that all my examples are English history rather than British.

I think there's a difference between what children are taught in school and what they retain! Also there's an awful lot of British history- they will have been taught plenty of it.

Mine were definitely taught this in primary. And we watched a lot of Horrible Histories.

Unless something really grabs a child's interest most of the history they learn in school goes in one ear and out the other. It's usually interesting while they are learning about it but as soon as the next topic comes along it either disappears into the wind or it might get shoved into a corner of the brain to maybe only surface during a pub quiz 20 years later.
😂

My 6 year old knows about this as did his older sister at the same age, the curriculum in year 2 I believe. No idea about secondary school though.

Knock yourself out, OP:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-history-programmes-of-study