Do young people not know their history anymore? - Yorkshire Post Letters

Conversations with young work colleagues have revealed to me that a complete ignorance of even pivotal events in British history is sadly the norm. Indeed, the answer to the late Tony Hancock’s question: “Magna Carta - Did she die in vain?” can only be sadly yes.

The starting point was when a friend sent me a meme based on the Bayeux Tapestry. While older people recognised the source and got the joke, youngsters not only had never heard of this historic work of art, but I soon discovered that the majority of them hadn’t even heard of the Norman Conquest!

Asking them about whether they knew what the Reformation was drew a similarly blank response. One or two recognised the name John Knox, but what he had actually stood for was a mystery.

After that I felt sure that the Industrial Revolution and the Anglo-Scottish Enlightenment would also draw a blank

Several of the key events and developments of British history are not just crucial to our identity, but because of Britain’s impact on the world of significance to people everywhere.

Rather than celebrating Black History month, what is actually needed is a Basic History month to educate young people about the key events in British history, which are part of the common inheritance of all British citizens whatever their ancestry or creed.