It seems there's no better way to make young people learn than to force-feed them. 'Like it or lump', according to the Conservatives.
David Willetts, the Tory education spokesman, wants all youngsters to know exactly what it means to be British. Yesterday, he told a seminar of teachers, academics and examiners at the Commons that the teaching of "real" subjects was vital to "shared culture, values and knowledge".
And what better way to do that than force history lessons on them and insist they study the subject longer at school?
The Tories are worried that young people can ditch history lessons when they are 14, so they want to see history made compulsory in the curriculum until 16. But is this really the way to sell history to disinterested teens?
A passionate group of teachers, who have formed a group called History People, argue that to make history sexy to teenagers, the subject needs an image makeover. Career advisers need to explain to youngsters that history is not only a school subject, but it can lead to a rewarding, and cool, career.
Nadine Carr, founder of History People, says: "Hollywood desperately needs specialists to ensure accuracy in their productions, architects frequently need a detailed historic frame of reference to manage modern regeneration projects and tourist attractions call upon historians to create replica artifacts.
"Many students are keen to pursue this interest beyond required education, but are convinced otherwise by careers advisers. This is a shame because careers within history can be so diverse and exciting."
Few would argue against the importance of history lessons, the values of learning from the past and the understanding of world issues it brings. But is force-feeding the way forward or will it just turn youngsters off?
