I read with interest Ellie Levenson’s article “Girls’ self-worth must go beyond Britney” (August 14). One of the positive things to come out of the changes to the history national curriculum has been an increased emphasis on the importance of teaching the diversity of human experience in the past.
In many classrooms across the country, this means that there is a real integration of issues such as gender, race and class into each historical topic studied. However, some teachers may not feel confident in their ability to teach such a wide range of perspectives and contexts - which is why the Historical Association has been holding training days (visit www.history.org.uk for details).
As history teachers, we are all too aware of the impact that different “accidents of birth” have had on people’s lives. It is our duty to challenge student and parent assumptions of how gender, race, religion or class can limit opportunities.
Flora Wilson, Education manager, The Historical Association, London.