Letter: The young know about a different history

Sir: The conclusion reached by Angela Lambert in her article 'What did Churchill do in the war, daddy?' (5 October) lacks credibility.

I refuse to believe that the teaching of history in our primary and secondary schools has been so appallingly inefficient in modern times that today's teenagers are, for the most part, unaware of the events that have shaped the present world.

It may be that those of us educated in, say, the 1940s, as I was, have a greater knowledge of past kings, prime ministers, treaties and battles. The children of today, however, have a much better grasp of social history than we ever did.

This is due to visits to heritage centres, the undertaking of local history projects, watching television programmes dealing with the lives of ordinary people in times past, the enactment of Victorian scenes in the classroom and the like. I know which I consider to be more important in forming the attitudes of tomorrow's adults.

Yours faithfully,

ANDREW J. WOFFENDEN

Marple,

Greater Manchester

5 October