Freedom of movement has been sacrificed for introspective nostalgia - Yorkshire Post Letters

On the teaching of history in school your correspondents Tony Brayshaw (The Yorkshire Post, September 24) and Dick Lindley appear good at ranting but short on examples.

Hence belligerent Tony wants Boris Johnson to stand up to the EU because they’ve been ‘playing with the rules for years’ in order to ‘walk all over us’.

Just what does this nonsense mean? Many might laud Brayshaw’s brevity, but come on, Tony, just one specific example might have helped.

The same goes for the longer rant from Trump-supporting Dick from Altofts who derides history teachers in particular as peddlers of ‘left-wing Marxist style claptrap’ (The Yorkshire Post, September 29). Yet again there are no specific examples.

It is quite possible to believe that on the whole the British Empire was a force for good and that this country has generally stood up for democracy, peace, freedom and progress while recognising that there are lots 
of unsavoury episodes in our past.

Most recently the Windrush scandal is a national disgrace. However I don’t want to see Edward of Woodstock toppled from his City Square plinth and Victoria should remain in Hyde Park.

As a languages teacher I have repeatedly given up holiday time to take students to the battlefields of the Somme and Normandy so that they can 
learn of the sacrifices of soldiers not much older than themselves.

I am sure that neither Tony nor Dick would want to see our young people meet fellow young Europeans on the battlefield as was the norm for centuries.

However introspective nostalgia and the lack of trust in other Europeans as exemplified in Mr Brayshaw’s missive has deprived our history students of the life-enhancing benefits of freedom of movement with all the social, linguistic, cultural 
and sporting opportunities offered, unless they are lucky enough to qualify for an Irish passport.

From: John Turley, Dronfield Woodhouse.

TERRY Wright (The Yorkshire Post, September 25) asks the question ‘How many other EU countries would have voted ‘Leave’ if they had the opportunity to have a referendum on EU membership’?

I can answer this question for him, and the answer is none, moreover there is no overwhelming desire in these countries to have such a referendum, especially after the British experience.

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James Mitchinson