Children's knowledge is (nothing) to sing about

ALMOST half of the younger generation cannot identify the Romans as the builders of Hadrian's Wall or Admiral Nelson as the Battle of Trafalgar victor, a survey has found.

Other gaps in their historical knowledge include a third of 18 to 24-year-olds believing that Charles Darwin was not English, with 20 per cent saying he was Scottish and one in ten thinking he came from the US or Canada.

The study was commissioned as part of campaign to encourage some pupils to sing their way to historic understanding.

From next month a "Sing Up" bus will travel across the UK offering children a chance to take part in a school trip singalong to museums and monuments. Howard Goodall, composer and National Singing Ambassador, said: "Singing on the bus is a great way to engage children in learning. There is a wealth of evidence to show singing aids mem-ory, improves concentration and educational development."