British teachers are steering clear of controversial subject matter, including the Holocaust and the Crusades, "Because they do not want to cause offense to children from certain races or religions," according to an article in the London Times.
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"Staff may wish to avoid causing offence or appearing insensitive to individuals or groups within 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 a place of worship," concluded the study, carried out by the Historical Association and funded by the Ministry of Education.
The study's delicate wording indicates that its authors, too, wished to avoid causing offense.
The study also reported that some teachers - especially in elementary schools - lack the requisite factual background, causing lessons on some emotional or controversial subjects to be "shallow."
A poll
published by the London Jewish Chronicle two months ago shows that ignorance about the Holocaust is widespread in the UK, with 28 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds unaware that the Holocaust took place.
However, only 1 percent of those surveyed thought the Holocaust was a myth. Just 16 percent of those polled thought that denying the Holocaust should be made a criminal offense in Britain.
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