The way the slave trade is taught can lead white children - as well as black pupils - to feel alienated, according to the study by the Historical Association.
And a lack of factual knowledge among teachers, particularly in primary schools, is leading to `shallow' lessons on emotive and difficult subjects.
Some teachers have even dropped the Holocaust completely from lessons over fears that Muslim pupils might express anti-semitic reactions in class.
And one school avoided teaching the Crusades because its `balanced' handling of the topic would contradict what was taught in local mosques.
The report, funded by the Education Department, said: "Teachers and schools avoid emotive and controversial history for a variety of reasons, some of which are well-intentioned.
"Staff may wish to avoid causing offence or appearing insensitive to individuals or groups in their classes. In particular settings, teachers of history are unwilling to challenge highly contentious or charged versions of history in which pupils are steeped at home, in their community or in places of worship."
The researchers gave the example of one history department in a secondary school in a northern city which decided not to teach the Holocaust as a topic for GCSE coursework.
The report said the teachers feared confronting `anti-semitic sentiment and Holocaust denial among some Muslim pupils'. Christian parents at another school complained over the way the Arab-Israeli conflict was taught.
Too many teachers `play safe', said the study, calling for better training in handling difficult subjects.
Emotive issues such as the slave trade can be taught too blandly, portraying Afro-Caribbeans as victims and isolating black children.
Children should be encouraged to develop their own sense of British identity to avoid social divisions widening between different groups, the report added. Tweet
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What about our human rights to our past. We all live and learn from our mistakes. Bury it all under the carpet and whats going to stop it all happening again. I am Northern Irish and have had to live through the troubles. I never want to forget them. We have peace at the moment and i hope it lasts. For with the memories of the past come all the tears and loses. I dont want to go back to them.
Children should be taught things the way they happen whoever it might or might not upset so that they can learn from mistakes of the past. Important things should not be dumbed down. People are far too oversensitive and litigious now and it's just wrong.
Which Holocaust are "we" not talking about? The ones in England where the Jews were banished in 1290 by King Edward, or the ones in other countries starting from the 8th century. Or the one when the second world war was taking place?
When you miss out bits of history good or bad you get ignorant people who are offended by "controversial subjects" perhaps we should burn books which contain such subjects - then it will be just hearsay!
Is there not a clue to what is to be taught in these lessons in the name of the lesson?? History is a very important part of the childrens education and is not like Religious Education whereby your child CAN be allowed to not study part or all of that lesson. We need to let all our children know about our past and that should not only include the nice things but also some not so nice things. This should offend anyone as what was in the past IS in the past and not the future. Why do we have to always be PC about absolutely everything. If people who's herritage is not from this country choose to live here they should also be made to learn about our country past and present. OK some people are decendants from slavery and I do not agree with this but it's long been over surley they would want to know what happened to their people too?
The approach should be: "This is the world you've been brought into. We can't dress it up for you, but the good news is you can change things for the better if we all contribute together". Burying facts under the carpet is too reminiscent of Nazi book-burning in the 1930's, and of the misleading tactics used to get this country to fight an aggressive war in the early 21st century. The approach depicted by this report is wrong. Children should be taught about the way things actually were, otherwise how will they know how to change things for the better? Namby pamby rubbish - again.
The british are getting very good at selecteive memories?the PC gang want all the nasty things forgot but the good things being taught in our schools?this isnt reality .ITS TIME WE ALL GOT INTO THE REAL WORLD AND SEE IT IN ALL ITS UGLY GLORY, GOOD AND BAD. ITS CALLED THE TRUTH.And if some of our society dosnt like the truth "TOUGH".You cannot build a future on lies.
When will the people who are successfully social engineering Britain realise that,although Britain has many races and religions,there can only be one CULTURE and that it must be BRITISH. Multiculturism only leads to conflict and in Britain it is one-sided conflict whilst the native Brits(up to now)have sat back and not responded! Maybe the Lefties want conflict and are slowly goading the Brits into action by promoting the type of stupidity contained in your article. They somehow have to be stopped!
Do not blame history teachers for steering clear of controversial subjects.
I remember the 'holocaust' & it has always bothered me that the millions of Russian civilians & others are never mentioned in relation to Hitler's ethnic cleansing programme.
As for the Crusades, no wonder the teachers steer clear of that one. A bigger mob of cruel racist bigots has never descended upon the people of the middle east. Do the teacher tell the children that? I think not.
And what of the Spartans?
Held in extremely high esteem in my day. We were taught to follow their example & as children gloried in their discipline & courage. The truth is that they were akin to the very worst of Hitlers SS & Gestapo. killing their own children, murdering the people they had enslaved.
I could go on. Suffice to say that history is written by the rich & powerful.
No, don't blame the teachers blame the historians.
Not teaching history in it's true context is as bad as denying the slave trade or the holocaust. Children & young people need to know how things have transpired to their current state to have any real understanding of the process & the world today.
The only reason for denying them of a true historical account is to give then the illusion of beter ethical behaviour of the british in the past than is REALLY accountable?
P.s. This is as bad as brainwashing, which counts as an abusive techinique from the government toward its subjects. Is britain flouting eu referendums?
what next no mention of the Empire because some people link it with slavery. What was World War 2 anyway???
So its now bad to mention the Holocaust is it, unless your Jewish and want to force it down the publics throats every few months on TV
By not teaching parts of history deliberately is just the same as re-writing it There are so many similarities to Orwells 1984 and Blairs Britain but this Goverment have done it cleverly because it isnt as in your face to the average person.
I have received the following reliable information:
'Unfortunately this is a case of someone picking up a story and then embellishing it
It is true that there have been stories in the media saying that some schools and teachers have been reluctant to teach about the Holocaust and the Crusades because of the potential reaction of some Muslim students
It has been hyped up by the media and very responsible members of our community who have read the report that led to this story circulating say it has highly exaggerated the reality
What is absolutely definitely not true is the first sentence of the message circulating which says the UK has taken the Holocaust out of the National Curriculum
Firstly it is not due to become a compulsory part of the curriculum until later this year, and this will definitely go ahead.
It is both alarmist and misleading to circulate this kind of message without properly checking its authenticity
It is true that even if only a few teachers and schools go down the road of dropping the Holocaust until it becomes compulsory for it to be taught, that is a worrying trend, but to suggest it is official approved policy that has been taken in the UK is highly irresponsible.
Hopefully those in our community who have satisfied themselves this is an exaggerated story will circulate a press release or some information to counter the stories that have been published in the press and which are now being embellished and misreported
Joy Wolfe'