HC Deb 11 September 1942 vol 383 cc527-8
58. Mr. Hamilton Kerr

asked the President of the Board of Education whether any text books are at present in use in schools dealing with the history of the Colonial Empire?

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education (Mr. Ede)

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member for Wirral (Captain A. Graham), on 30th July last. The importance of including adequate teaching on the British Colonial Empire is stressed throughout the "Handbook of Suggestions for Teachers." As a rule the subject finds its appropriate place in the history and geography textbooks in general use in schools, but, as I stated in my previous reply, a book on the British Commonwealth of Nations specially designed for the use of teachers is in course of preparation.

Dr. Russell Thomas

Will my hon. Friend consider encouraging the revival of classical learning in order to give more balance to a somewhat shallow world?