An A-level history textbook has been removed from circulation due to an “inappropriate” question on the treatment of Native Americans.
The publisher of USA 1865-1975: The Making of a Superpower said it would be withdrawn from sale after a tutor raised concerns on social media.
Hannah Wilkinson shared an image from the textbook on Twitter, showing students were asked to answer: “To what extent do you believe the treatment of Native Americans has been exaggerated?”
Another exercise in the AQA/Hodder textbook asked pupils to draw and complete scales with criticisms and defence of the treatment of Native Americans on each side.
“In what world is this is an acceptable question/exercise to ask students to complete on the history of Native Americans in late 1800s US?” Ms Wilkinson said. “Actually horrified.”
The publisher has since agreed to withdraw the textbook.
“We agree that this content is inappropriate and are going to remove this book from sale,” Hodder Education said. “We will conduct a thorough review of the content with subject experts.”
AQA also replied to Ms Wilkinson’s tweet, saying it had spoken to Hodder Schools about the textbook.
“They’ll remove this book from sale and review its content,” the exam board said.
“We’re also working together with publishers to ensure that new and updated editions of AQA-approved textbooks meet our commitment to EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion).”
Back in 2018, a GCSE sociology textbook which claimed fathers and husbands were “largely absent” from Caribbean families was withdrawn after it sparked outrage on social media.
The book received more criticism after other statements came to light, including the claim that working-class children often lacked the right “attitudes” to succeed in education.
Additional reporting by Press Association
