On Monday 28 June, MPs will debate e-petition 324092, relating to Black history and cultural diversity in the curriculum. Chris Evans, member of the Petitions Committee, will open the debate. The Government will send a Minister to respond.
Teach Britain’s colonial past as part of the UK’s compulsory curriculum:
The petition, which has more than 268,000 signatures, states: “Currently, it is not compulsory for primary or secondary school students to be educated on Britain’s role in colonisation, or the transatlantic slave trade. We petition the government to make education on topics such as these compulsory, with the ultimate aim of a far more inclusive curriculum.”
In its response to the petition, the Government said: “The history curriculum at Key Stage 3 includes the statutory theme “ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain 1745-1901”. Topics within statutory themes are chosen by schools and teachers.”
The debate follows a series of joint evidence sessions held by the Petitions Committee and Women and Equalities Committee last year, where the Committees heard from petitioners, experts and academics on the need for change.
The Committees then put this evidence to Schools Minister Nick Gibb MP and an official from the Department for Education in a session in February 2021.
To inform this work, the Petitions Committee sought the views and experiences of teachers, school staff and home educators through an online survey.
Key findings in the survey included:
The debate will last 90 minutes, and will provide opportunities for MPs to question Government Ministers directly on these issues.
The debate will take place in Westminster Hall from 18:15, and will be available to view on Parliament TV and on YouTube.
This content was originally published here.
