Education Minister Nick Gibb rubbishes calls to ‘decolonise the curriculum’ – insisting it would do nothing for society
BLACK kids should still be taught the works of “dead white men”, Education Minister Nick Gibb said yesterday.
He rubbished calls to “decolonise the curriculum” - insisted it would do nothing to create a more equal society.
And he said that it is important all pupils - whatever their colour or creed - get the same high standards of education.
Delivering a speech over zoom to the Social Market Foundation, he said firebrand demands to purge subjects of classic texts penned by white people risk backfiring.
He said: “I believe the job of the teacher – and our best teachers indeed do this – is to teach a curriculum which opens up a world of wonder and beauty from people of all creeds and colours far beyond the narrow experience of an individual child
“A curriculum based on relevance to pupils is to deny them an introduction to the best that has been taught and said."
"And of course there is no reason why the work of a dead white man is not appropriate for children from ethnic minorities to learn about it.”
He added: “Of course, children need to know how Britain became Britain as it is today.
"And there are important events – Windrush just to pick one event – that children do need to be taught about.
“But they also need to be taught about all the other events that led to Britain as it is today.”
Throwing open the doors to purging subjects because of the colour of the writers will not help in tackling racism today, he warned.
He said: “We will not create a more harmonious, tolerant and equal society through promoting a curriculum based on relevance to, or representativeness of, any one group.
“Nor will we do so by being ashamed of who we are and where we came from."
Leftie campaigners and trade unions have mounted a bid to “decolonise” school and university curriculums.
While many speakers and university lecturers have been ‘cancelled’ by students who disagree with their views.
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The government has hit out at this growing intolerance at universities.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said he was “deeply worried” about the “chilling effect on campuses of unacceptable silencing and censoring".
He is creating a ‘free speech champion’ to investigate allegations of intolerance on campuses.