BLACK HISTORY MONTH

That this House notes that there has been a continuous black presence in Great Britain since as early as 1772; welcomes Black History Month as part of efforts to raise awareness about the contribution of black and ethnic minorities to Great Britain's cultural, scientific and many other achievements; expresses concern that the teaching of black history is often confined to topics about slavery or post-war immigration; further notes that mainstreaming black history would allow schools to challenge stereotypes, ignorance and racism; further notes that fully integrating black and ethnic minority history into the curriculum could be an effective tool for challenging the underachievement of ethnic minority students; and urges the Government to integrate fully black and ethnic minority history into the education curriculum and include, for example, `When We Ruled' by Robin Walker as part of the teaching of world history.