Mike Baker wants to see a revival of history teaching (TES, February 15). He seems to think that this will be achieved through an even greater emphasis on “handling original sources”. Unfortunately, he cannot understand how this “best taught” of subjects can be so lacking in appeal to pupils.
Where has Mike been over the past decade or so? Since the introduction of the more source-based GCSE, history has become less and less popular with pupils. The pundits are voting with their feet.
Let me utter a real heresy. Children are actually inspired far more by well-taught “narrative” history. Adults, too, prefer stories and it was ever thus. How sad that, having failed to learn from the recent past, Mike Baker now wishes to repeat it.
Chris McGovern Director of the History Curriculum Association Punnetts Town, Heathfield East Sussex
