I did not give political bias as the reason for my decision; I gave as my reason the need to look at matters in their historical perspective. I believe that the judgments on current affairs that pupils should properly form will be more mature and carry more weight if they are based on a study of the historical background.

For the purpose of history, what is called for is not an examination of the current Gulf war, but—as I suggested in the curriculum—a study of events from the end of the Ottoman empire, taking in the Balfour declaration and the creation of the Hashemite kingdoms, through to the unrest at the time of the mandate, the civil war in 1948 and, finally, the war in 1967. That is the proper subject of the history curriculum; this morning's news on the radio, and current events in the Gulf war, are not. A proper history curriculum with perspective, enabling pupils to view the past and form judgments on it, is the best way for schools to prepare people for making continuing judgments on current events.