Teachers back plan to give history a priority

Published on 21/01/2008 21:40

TEACHERS last night welcomed plans to place Scottish history back at the heart of the school curriculum.

The Scotsman yesterday revealed proposals by Fiona Hyslop, the education secretary, to give the subject fresh emphasis in schools.

Ann Ballinger, history teacher and president of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association said: "I like the emphasis on local history and ordinary people not big battles and kings.

"However, British, European and global history doesn't come in until step four and we might be moving in from one extreme to another.

"Where people in the past learnt nothing about Scotland, they might now learn nothing but that – and it is very important not to be parochial."

Duncan Toms, president of the Scottish Association of Teachers of History, echoed that concern and added: "This concentration on the glories, the pride and the achievement could get it out of balance.

"In fairness to Fiona Hyslop she did talk about the slave trade but we wouldn't want a one-dimensional, self-serving sort of version of Scottish history."

Labour education spokeswoman Rhona Brankin was critical of the education secretary.

She said: "To equate history teaching to singing Flower of Scotland displays a worryingly naive view of the impact of history teaching and, at worst, a view seen through the prism of nationalism."