Teach Even More Local History Say SNP

The teaching of local history such as Falkirk's role in the Scottish Wars of Independence and the 1820 uprising should be extended even further into the local curriculum than even that which has gone before according to SNP Education spokesperson, Cllr Tom Coleman.

Interest in local history has been on the increase recently and two community based memorials have recently been unveiled locally.

The first was dedicated to the Scottish patriots who fell at the Battle of Falkirk when William Wallace led a volunteer Scottish army against the invading army of Edward 1st, Hammer of the Scots, in 1298. The memorial was erected by the Falkirk Branch of the Sir William Wallace Society in July on the 709th anniversary of the battle.

The second memorial was unveiled at the site of the last land battle fought on Scottish soil at Bonnymuir, just outside Bonnybridge. At this site in 1820 a workers rebellion under the slogan "Scotland Free or a Desert" was crushed by government forces following the information obtained by government spies. This led to the execution of the ringleaders and deportation of others involved in the Radicals movement, the forerunners to the modern trade union movement.

Now Falkirk Council SNP Education spokesperson, Cllr Tom Coleman wants these sites to be part of the teaching of local history in our schools.

Said Cllr Coleman,

"Clearly there is a welcome upturn in Scottish and local history and the Wallace Society and 1820 Society have done us a great service in their painstaking efforts to commemorate the sacrifice of ordinary people for Scotland's freedom.

We have also had a rapid increase in the teaching of Scottish and local history in our schools over the period of the SNP led Administration between 2001and 2007. However, this does not mean that we had exhausted our initiatives and contained within the SNP manifesto was a commitment to further extend the teaching of local history in our schools.

The provision of two additional monuments to our community bring local history closer to our young people and reinforce the fact that Falkirk has played a crucial role in the shaping of our countries past.

The fact that schools can visit these sites means that we should be increasing the levels and range of local history and taking advantage of the efforts of the Wallace and 1820 Societies.

Our motion to the council is to seek a report from Educationalists as to how they can bring forward a developed strategy for not only the teaching of local history but also the practical advantage of having these and other historical sites within the district."