Corbyn calls for colonial history to be taught in schools

THE British Empire and colonialism in India should be taught in UK schools, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Thursday (11).

Corbyn urged the curriculum change, referring to its importance in wake of the Windrush Scandal involving Commonwealth citizens being wrongly denied their citizenship rights in the UK.

"In the light of the Windrush scandal, Black History Month has taken on a renewed significance and it is more important now than ever that we learn and understand as a society the role and legacy of the British Empire, colonisation and slavery," Corbyn said.

The politician also announced plans for an Emancipation Educational Trust, which would help educate schoolchildren about the impact of black slavery.

“It is vital that future generations understand the role that Black Britons have played in our country's history and the struggle for racial equality,” he said.

Indian-origin MPs Virendra Sharma has backed Corbyn and urged the government to do more in educating the next generation on Britain’s colonial past.

"I have always campaigned for colonial history to become part and parcel of mainstream education in Britain. It is important that the future generations are aware of the role played by the British in the Indian subcontinent, the African continent and other regions," Sharma said.

Sharma has previously campaigned for the Partition of India to be included in the school curriculum.