Anna Leach

GCSE history in England gives limited attention to black British history and the British empire. Guardian analysis of exam-board modules found that up to 11% of GCSE students studied material making any reference to black contributions to Britain, while only about 9% studied modules making significant reference to the British empire. Educators and campaigners argue that this omission reinforces victim-only narratives, weakens pupils’ understanding of modern Britain and harms black students’ sense of identity and belonging. The article identifies limited teacher time, funding and subject knowledge as barriers to reform, while the Department for Education rejects making black history mandatory and Pearson says it will accelerate plans for a migration module covering black British history.