Letter: Teaching history

Sir: You report that "traditionalists triumphed" in the writing of a new National Curriculum for History ("Labour backs down over curriculum", 10 September). The new curriculum is an unmitigated defeat for all those who, like me, believe that the school history curriculum should pass on to children their birthright - a sense of national identity.

All the landmarks of British history are italicised in the new curriculum. This means that their status is as examples which do not have to be taught.

This optional status is confirmed in a letter from the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority and Ofsted, already in every school in the country. It states that "we would like to emphasise that it is very much up to individual schools to determine whether or not to use the italicised examples". So much for the triumph of traditionalists.

CHRIS McGOVERN

Director, History Curriculum Association

Heathfield, East Sussex