Thread by @ihr_history

IHR Director, Prof. Jo Fox, is among 50 signatories to today's lead letter in The Times on the need to teach colonial history in schools.

Coordinated by @RunnymedeTrust and @JJtodd1966

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#TeachRaceMigrationEmpire #twitterstorians

thetimes.co.uk/edition/commen…

"We have witnessed a huge outpouring in response to George Floyd’s tragic death. In the UK many are also drawing attention to this country’s record on racial justice. Both the UK and US are haunted by failing to accurately acknowledge their pasts.

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One key recommendation of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review is that the Home Office should teach its staff about Britain’s colonial history and migration. We welcome this call to address Britain’s colonial legacies, histories of migration and settlement,

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and believe that this work should begin in schools. A starting place should be the TIDE-Runnymede report “Teaching Migration, Belonging and Empire”, and the recommendation to support teachers with training and resources to teach these complex themes confidently.

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This requires government funding.

The UCL Centre for Holocaust Education has shown that giving teachers access to the latest scholarship and helping them to understand the misconceptions that pupils may have is highly effective.

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A similar approach is needed for British histories of empire and migration."

Other signatories include:
@DavidOlusoga
@rentravailer
@BernardineEvari
@KennettaPerry
@OlivetteOtele
@malachimcintosh
@hannahelias

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