A QUASI RESPONSE FROM GOVE

I have today received a reply to my letter to Michael Gove sent on the 3rd January regarding WW1. Unfortunately Mr Gove has not replied personally. The reply I received was from the Ministerial and Public Communications Division of The Department for Education, and reads thus:

Dear Mr XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thank you for your email of 3 January, containing a letter addressed to the Secretary of State, about World War One. I am sure you can appreciate that the Secretary of State receives a large amount of correspondence and is unable to answer each one personally. I have therefore been asked to reply.

It is for schools to decide how they teach and what resources they use to support the teaching of the First World War or anything else. We trust schools to use teaching materials that suit their pupils’ needs. In his article of 3 January, the Secretary of State was not criticising teachers for using Blackadder as a resource, he was referring to what he described as the myths perpetuated in that programme, and other fictional dramas, and how important it is not to rely on just one version of events.

We also expect teachers to keep their subject knowledge up to date, and to draw on a range of resources, including more recent research. We would also expect that the teaching of any issue in schools should be consistent with the principles of balance and objectivity.

More generally on the points you make about the causes of the First World War, and about differing historical arguments and interpretations, pupils are required to understand that different versions of past events may exist and why this is so. This will be a requirement in the new history curriculum at key stage 3, which will be taught from September 2014. As the Secretary of State also pointed out in his article, there is no unchallenged consensus, and it is important that we encourage an open debate on the war and its significance. Again, it is for teachers to decide how they do this.

Once again, thank you for writing.

Your correspondence has been allocated reference number XXXXXXXXXXXXX. If you need to respond to us, please visit: www.education.gov.uk/contactus and quote your reference number.

As part of our commitment to improving the service we provide to our customers, we are interested in hearing your views and would welcome your comments via our website at: www.education.gov.uk/pcusurvey.

Yours sincerely

XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ministerial and Public Communications Division
www.education.gov.uk

The last major paragraph seems encouraging:

More generally on the points you make about the causes of the First World War, and about differing historical arguments and interpretations, pupils are required to understand that different versions of past events may exist and why this is so. This will be a requirement in the new history curriculum at key stage 3, which will be taught from September 2014. As the Secretary of State also pointed out in his article, there is no unchallenged consensus, and it is important that we encourage an open debate on the war and its significance. Again, it is for teachers to decide how they do this.

I wonder if this statement,

...it is for teachers to decide how they do this.

means exclusively history teachers or teachers of other subjects?

So, how can we get this Freemasonic conspiracy into our schools during the centenary of WW1?

Anybody?

Is there anybody out there?