A
number of constituents have been writing to me and copying me into their emails
to the Education Secretary regarding the inclusion of black history in the
national curriculum from KS1 to KS4.
Racism in whatever shape or form has no
place whatsoever in our communities, and we all have a part to play
in tackling it.
My team and I continue to stand ready to support
and assist anybody in our constituency who has fallen
victim to this heinous crime.
The wealth of diversity across our country is something to be
celebrated, so I am pleased that the national curriculum allows
schools to do exactly that.
Educating our future generations about racial diversity and
equality should be a primary responsibility for parents, who know best in
communicating with their children and guiding them in their thinking on
important social issues. But I recognise that schools can also play an
important supplementary role.
The national curriculum already provides a
number of opportunities for pupils to be taught about different societies and
how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain, and that
this can include the voices and experience of people from BAME backgrounds in
our country.
Indeed, I would go even further as a Cornishman and Cornish MP in
saying that I also want to see the history of Cornwall and the struggles the
Cornish throughout our history, including being taken as slaves in the 17
century, being taught in schools in Cornwall.
All schools have the freedom to teach this from primary school age
onwards as part of the history curriculum, and they have the flexibility
to choose how they teach this and which resources to use.
Finally I note that the Department for Education has published an
article on its official blog to outline the current policy position on this
matter, which constituents may find helpful: https://dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/06/09/black-history-in-schools/
