Field trips spark new battle of Bannockburn

Published on Wednesday 9 September 2009 21:42

THE SNP government is to offer schoolchildren subsidised trips to Bannockburn and Culloden, raising fears pupils will be indoctrinated with a "narrow nationalist" view of Scots history.

Historians and opposition politicians have warned against teaching pupils a "tabloid" version of history that could fuel anti-English sentiment.

Today, education minister Keith Brown will visit Bannockburn to unveil the scheme, which will see taxpayers' money fund educational trips for thousands of children to two of the most emotive battlefields in Scotland.

Ministers have given a sum of public money to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), which will supervise the trips to the battlefields and Burns Heritage Museum in Alloway, Ayrshire.

But rival politicians said pupils might receive a skewed account of the past that fails to grasp that Scots fought both with the government as well as the Jacobites at Culloden.

Conservative culture spokesman Ted Brocklebank said: "It is vital children learn about history but they must also learn the truth, not some narrow nationalist viewpoint. For example, Culloden had little to do with Scotland versus England and everything to do with religion."

David Allan, a reader in Scottish history at St Andrews University was also concerned that the misconception that Culloden was a fight between the Scots and English would be promoted.

Dr Allan said: "I understand the concern of the SNP's political opponents that there might be some kind of tabloid view of nationalist history, particularly when it comes to Culloden. It was not an English-Scottish battle, it was a civil war involving people from different parts of a dis-United Kingdom.

"Bannockburn, on the other hand, was an Anglo-Scottish battle, but it ought to be explained without damning our present neighbours.

I would hope this is simply about young Scottish, English and Irish people going to see something that is part of their common history."

But Tom Devine, Professor of Scottish History at Edinburgh University, said:

"If this is under supervision and organisation of both the schools and the NTS, I would certainly trust them to be responsible."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said:

"No-one with an interest in delivering the best experiences for pupils could fail to support an initiative which allows pupils to participate in active learning about their history and heritage.

"It is especially disappointing to have this opportunity for young learners turned into a political attack."