HC Deb 22 June 1944 vol 401 cc339-40
30. Sir William Davison

asked the President of the Board of Education what steps are being taken to give instruction in schools throughout the country on the history of the British Empire, its unity as a Commonwealth of Nations and its importance in any post-war arrangements for securing world peace and security.

Mr. Ede

In their handbook of suggestions for teachers the Board have emphasised the importance of the study of the history of the British Commonwealth of Nations and of its position in the world. A large amount of material on the Empire, of which I am sending my hon. Friend some particulars, has been made available to the schools by arrangement with the Ministry of Information. The Board have, further, issued a bibliography on the Empire in their Schools in Wartime Series.

Sir W. Davison

Notwithstanding all that valuable literature to which my right hon. Friend has referred, is he aware how terribly ignorant the ordinary school boy or school girl is of the history of the British Empire and its development to a Commonwealth of Nations? Does he not think its history is much more important than an account of Julius Caesar's campaigns in Gaul or statements that at this time large birds called bustards ran heavily in great flocks across the plains?

Mr. Ede

Reference to the conquest of Gaul makes me feel that my hon. Friend is censuring the public schools, rather than those for which my Department is responsible.

Sir Herbert Williams

May I ask my right hon. Friend whether his answer implies that the instruction relates only to the British Commonwealth of Nations which, after all, comprises only one-sixth of the population of the British Empire?

Mr. Ede

It is a large amount of material on the Empire which I am sending to my hon. Friend, and both the Dominions and the Empire are included in the references that were made.

Mr. Sorensen

May I ask whether all this information is objective or only optimistic?

Mr. McEntee

May I ask if the literature which is to be made available to the hon. Gentleman who asked the Question can be made available to other hon. Members?

Mr. Ede

I shall be very pleased to make it available to any hon. Member who is interested in the subject.

Mr. Edgar Granville

May I ask if the curriculum includes an explanation of the implications of the Balfour Declaration and the Statute of Westminster?

Mr. Ede

I would ask my hon. Friend to be merciful to children who are still under 14 years of age. I can assure my hon. Friend, speaking as a teacher, that members of my profession give the greatest possible care to presenting this matter suitably to children, but one would only sicken them, if one went into the subjects which have just been mentioned. I have no doubt, however, that these are suitably dealt with in the senior forms of secondary schools.