Politics United Kingdom

Can teaching schoolchildren about Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade remain optional? | Morgan Ofori

History is a foundational subject in England, taught to children from the age of five to 14 to build critical thinking, weigh evidence and help pupils…

By The News Engine Desk Based on reporting by The Guardian

4 Oct 2026, 16:30 IST Updated 2 hours ago 1 min read 0 views

Image accompanying the story: Can teaching schoolchildren about Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade remain optional? | Morgan Ofori — Image: Photograph: Kath Viala · via The Guardian

The Guardian reports: History is a foundational subject in England, taught to children from the age of five to 14 to build critical thinking, weigh evidence and help pupils understand the world they’ve inherited.

Mounting evidence about how slavery shaped Britain shows that teaching about its history cannot be a matter of choice I often think back to my years as a secondary school history teacher, and to what I was and wasn’t able to teach.

This politics story centres on the United Kingdom. Names and organisations mentioned in the coverage include Britain, Morgan Ofori and England.

Why it matters

Political decisions and disputes like this can influence policy, public services and the direction of government.

Key details

Location: United Kingdom · Europe
Reported by: The Guardian
First reported: 4 Oct 2026, 16:30 IST
Key names: Britain, Morgan Ofori, England
Section: Politics
Figure cited: The key stage 3 national curriculum, covering ages 11 to 14, states that pupils should understand how “Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider… (The Guardian)