* Political intervention by the Tories over the issue of Scottish history had been “quite unprecedented”, Duncan Toms, principal teacher of history at Bearsden Academy, told the Educational Institute of Scotland conference last weekend.
Mr Toms accused Michael Forsyth of “wrapping his head in the Union Jack and heart in the Saltire” when as Scottish Secretary he ordered the Scottish Qualifications Authority to investigate a specific Standard grade qualification in Scottish history.
There was already sufficient scope at Standard grade but the main problem was the lack of time in secondary 1 and secondary 2. Mr Toms said pupils had only one hour of history a week.