An MP has called for more teaching of Medieval history in schools, claiming that “vast chunks” of England’s past will be lost otherwise, The Telegraph reports.
Alexander Stafford claimed that history teaching is too narrow and makes children focus on facts rather than developing analytical skills.
The Conservative MP for Rother Valley said the subject was “greatly neglected in schools” with “very little taught at GCSE or A-level”.
He said: “Lots of our history teaching in this country revolves around the two Hs – Hitler and Henry VIII – and we need to actually broaden out.
“There is a lot more of our history; our country is quite old with a lot of formative history. We need to discuss it, talk about it.
“It is a situation where students are far more likely to learn about someone like Martin Luther King than they are about Alfred the Great.”
Mr Stafford highlighted that this period of history could help us understand the present day, including looking at comparisons between the Black Death and Covid 19, the Crusades and wars in the Middle East.
The MP is was due to lead an adjournment debate in the Commons today (Monday, July 4), promoting medieval history as a school subject.