Here is the scarcely punctuated and poorly expressed blurb to a book titled What Shall We Tell the Children, written by Dr Stuart J. Foster.  It was published in 2006.

The pages of this book illustrate that as instruments of socialization and sites of ideological discourse textbooks are powerful artefacts in introducing young people to a specific historical, cultural and socioeconomic order. Crucially, exploring the social construction of school textbooks and the messages they impart provides an important context from within which to critically investigate the dynamics underlying the cultural politics of education and the social movements that form it and which are formed by it. The school curriculum is essentially the knowledge system of a society incorporating its values and its dominant ideology. The curriculum is not “our knowledge” born of a broad hegemonic consensus, rather it is a battleground in which cultural authority and the right to define what is labelled legitimate knowledge is fought over. As each chapter in this book illustrates curriculum as theory and practice has never been, and can never be, divorced from the ethical, economic, political, and cultural conflicts of society which impact so deeply upon it. We cannot escape the clear implication that questions about what knowledge is of most worth and about how it should be organized and taught are problematic, contentious and very serious.

There is something deeply offensive about the knowledge of the workings of the mind claimed by these educationalist creatures.  Everything is somebody’s myth, they say.  It’s all relative.  It’s all about power ... all about politics.  The only question is whether we are serious about building a better, more tolerant, more equal world.  Etc, etc.

I’m glad I’m not a “senior lecturer in History in Education” like Dr Foster.  I can cling to the fond belief that the point of educating children is to equip them with the capacity to think for themselves all life long.  But Dr Foster very specifically does NOT share that belief.  In his mean little world, students are no more than human blotting-paper - except, of course, those like his own student self who possess the powers to freely discriminate for the marxian concept of Man.  Gods in a postmodern system that makes the rest of us less than human, they are the final word in hypocrisy.

Now I’ve got that off my chest, I will explain.

In April of this year the Guardian ran a brief article in which Foster, showing ambition, I suppose, critiqued the teaching of history.  The basis of his critique was a study, if one can call it that, involving 48 students - yes, 48 - aged between 11 and 14 at three London comprehensive schools.  Meaning, between 50% and 90% of the students were very likely from the Third World.  So, a pretty pathetic and unprofessional study that could produce nothing indicative of wider trends whatsoever.

Even so, on these anorexic foundations this guy saw fit to pontificate in public to the effect that history had to be made relevant to student’s lives (ignoring the fact that non-native students can never conceive our history and heritage as we can ourselves).

I think, though, that our little educational god must have been embarrassed by his insubstantial effort here.  But he made no mistake about his next venture into the spotlight.  He went where the money and the postmodern myth-making really is, and where his people-as-blotting-paper mentality will be most appreciated:-

National survey launched into how the Holocaust is taught

The first large scale national survey into how the Holocaust is taught in English secondary schools will be launched by the Institute of Education, London (IOE) in November.

The launch coincides with the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass, 9 November 1938), when violent acts against Jews in Nazi Germany were legitimised and close to 30,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps in a single night.

Dr Stuart Foster, reader in history in education and director of the project, explained that while the Holocaust is a compulsory part of the national curriculum, little is known about teachers’ attitudes and perceptions about it, and existing small-scale research suggests that many feel ill equipped to handle such a difficult and emotive subject. “This survey will shed light on the challenges that teachers face when teaching this complex and demanding subject,” he said.

The researchers hope to find answers to such questions as: Why do teachers choose to teach about the Holocaust? How much time do they devote to it? Are there reasons why a teacher may hesitate to teach the subject? Does the background of the students affect this decision in any way?”

The survey is part of a three-year £1.5 million project funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the charitable Pears Foundation, with support from the Holocaust Educational Trust. It will culminate in a national programme of courses to help teachers address the concerns and issues they encounter when teaching about the Holocaust.

Notice here that the focus is on the effectiveness of the teachers and on the question, albeit unstated, of Muslim disbelief in “the defining event of the 20th Century”.  Fair enough, we don’t have to agree with Holocaust indoctrination to understand that this is an approach to it concerned solely with specialist, professional issues.  It’s foremost about striving to fulfill the demands of the curriculum.  Notice, too, that at the end of the IoE press release Ruth-Anne Lenga is described as “a visiting fellow at the IOE and a specialist in Holocaust education”.

Now ... it happens, rather oddly, that two day before this press release, The Times ran a bit of a shock piece titled “Every school to get Holocaust specialist under anti-racism initiative”.  I suppose they received a call from the IoE press secretary, asked a few questions and got the story before the official release was even posted on the IoE website.  Revealingly, in The Times’ article Ms Lenga has transmogrified into an independent voice of authority: “education consultant at the Jewish Museum”.  Amazing how these people shape-shift.  And Foster - who does not appear to be Jewish himself, btw - is much, much more forthcoming:-

Every secondary school is to get a Holocaust specialist to ensure that the subject is taught comprehensively and sensitively.

One teacher from every school will be offered a place on a Holocaust education training course to combat racism and intolerance.

One in ten of those who take the course will also be able to take a master’s degree module in Holocaust education, as part of a £1.5 million scheme run by the Institute of Education.

Teachers will discuss parts of the subject that they find difficult to teach and work on lesson plans with experts on how to broach the issue.

Stuart Foster, director of the project, said: “There are increasing concerns in society about intolerance and racism. The BNP is coming to the forefront, and there’s increased anti-Semitism.”

How did the BNP suddenly get into this?  What happened to the professional concerns about teachers’ attitudes and knowledge?  But, of course, it isn’t about that.  It all comes back to Foster’s personal politics - not politics at all really, just a vile and irrational loathing of the English as people drenched in “intolerance and racism”.  There’s no sign that he - a person who, through his employer, has real traction on teaching practise in this country - is interested in any way in advancing students’ education, only that he wants “to define what is labelled legitimate knowledge”.  It’s war.  That’s what he sincerely believes education is.

I hope he and Ruthy read the comment thread to that Times article.  They most likely won’t know that Mark Webber circulated the link to it in his latest IHR list-mailing.  There are forty-one comments thusfar, and you have to go through twelve before you come to the first post by a Jew, or possibly a piece of blotting-paper.  Here, for your edification, are those twelve:-

If we learned something from the holocaust we would be focused on stopping it in such countries as Palestine now, as opposed to constanly just remembering one holocaust of several decades ago, while remaining silent about the ones taking place before our eyes. I guess we have not learned very much.

Bill, San Diego, California

So that’s it, then? We have completely, finally lost it? It is shaping up to be a complete and utter waste of time to go to school as basic subjects are to be swept aside to spend more time for the “special interest groups”. This type of propaganda has no place unless we brainwash children now.

Marvin K, Helensborough, Scotland

This seems like nothing more than “politically correct” and “guilt” being rammed down our throats when we had nothing to do with the problem, or helped to stop it! How about the 1915 Holocaust(TM) of the Armenians or the present-day Holocaust(TM) of the Palestinians - they are not being recognised?

Thelma Blaine, Londonderry, UK

If teaching about the holocaust inflicted onto the Jewish people during WWII is supposed to combat racism and intolerance, what about all the other Holocausts happening around this planet? The genocide of the Palestinian people for instance? Are they going to teach about that too?

Alex, LONDON,

Enough already! There are 50 states in the U.S. but there are 100+ holocaust institutions. In spite of the economy, business is booming for the holocaust industry. I’d like to know if anyone can identify another historical event that scholars are prohibited from critically/forensically examining.

thomas, Toronto, canada

Which Holocaust numbers will be taught?

The nine million portrayed in the French doc “Night and Fog”?

The six million number that’s been pumped into our brains, non-stop, since birth?

And what about the changed numbers at Auschwitz that dropped from 4 to one million??

Which one is to be used?

Greg Bacon, Douglas, Occupied America

When are we going to cease to be subjected to this Jewish propoganda. How many more movies, how many more compensaion claims.The Jews control the worlds finances (Done a great job), Finances control who gets into govt, Govt decides what we learn.

Mitch Rollinson, Auckland, NZ

Over 72 million people died during WW II, and it wasn’t, contrary to popular newspaper headlines, all about Jewish victims or the holocaust (named as such over 2 decades afterwards). China lost over 9 million, 20 million in Russia. The world is nuts if we’re only suppose to care about one race.

JoeP, Richmond, VA, USA

How about teaching our kids about the hundreds of thousands of Scottish and Irish people sent by the English to the Americas as slaves.

Thomas O’Neill, Alexandria, Scotland

Enough! How about some education for our kids on how Palestinians are being subjected to Nazi style treatment from the poor victimized Israelis/Jews? Thought not. holocausts are only holocausts when they supposedly happen to the chosen ones.

Paul, Cairns, Australia

Those Holocaust specialists will have to teach about, `Judea Declares War on Germany`, being the headline in the Daily Express for 24March1933 and whether Jews thereafter might well have been correctly seen as enemy aliens.

They will need to answer why exactly did Judea declare war on Germany ?

michael mazur, brunswick, australia

my kids wont be attending the classes. end of story.

georgie, maidenhead, uk