§ 28. Mr. Tilneyasked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the ignorance shown by many grammar school boys and girls about Hitler and the Spanish War, he will urge local education authorities to include recent history in the curriculum for schools.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe importance of keeping history courses up to date and linking them with contemporary affairs was emphasised in my Department's pamphlet on Teaching History. I am sending a copy of this pamphlet to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. TilneyHas my right hon. Friend seen the transcript of "Panorama" of 29th February? Is he aware that the Austrian Parliamentary delegation visited the B.BC.'s studios on that day and, while admitting that there might be children in Austria who were equally ignorant, they were so horrified by the lack of knowledge shown that they never stopped talking about it all the way back to their hotel?
§ Sir D. EcclesI heard about that and I am sorry, but of course one small group of children cannot be taken as typical. In any event, modern history is a very large subject. But I would agree with my hon. Friend that it is probably not receiving as much attention as it should.