E-petition debate: Black history and cultural diversity of the curriculum

Summary

On 28 June 2021, there will be a Westminster Hall Debate on e-petition 324092, “Teach Britain’s colonial past as part of the UK’s compulsory curriculum”. The petition called for the Government to make education on topics such as Britain’s role in colonisation, or the transatlantic slave trade, compulsory, ultimately aiming for “a far more inclusive curriculum”. It continued:

Now, more than ever, we must turn to education and history to guide us. But vital information has been withheld from the people by institutions meant to educate them. By educating on the events of the past, we can forge a better future. Colonial powers must own up to their pasts by raising awareness of the forced labour of Black people, past and present mistreatment of BAME people, and most importantly, how this contributes to the unfair systems of power at the foundation of our modern society.

The petition attracted nearly 270,000 signatures; the Government provided an amended response in July 2020. 

This debate pack provides background on what schools currently have to teach, on calls for change, and what the Government has said about these issues.