Sir, As historians from the Higher Education sector we deplore Michael Gove’s extraordinary and misleading attack on the Historical Association (report, May 10). Mr Gove suggested that the HA favours a dumbed-down or infantilised version of history teaching in schools. Citing a single sentence in an article by an experienced teacher in the HA’s journal Primary History, he claims that the HA suggests students “learn about the early Middle Ages by studying the depiction of King John as a cowardly lion in Disney’s Robin Hood.” In fact, the journal piece is a very thoughtful one which explains how students can be helped to realise that they should not take film depictions of history at face value. Mr Gove ignores the important
History teaching, Disney and Michael Gove
The key skill that the study of history teaches is the ability to evaluate evidence, rather than manipulating and distorting it for effect
The 1973 Disney version of Robin Hood portrays Prince John as a cowardly lion
THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY