Petition to make Britain's colonial past part of the curriculum gathers thousands of signatures in Sheffield

A campaign group of sixth form students say the Government is denying their generation the tools to “dismantle systemic racism” by not mandating teaching about the Empire in schools.

As of 9am on Thursday, 2,767 people in Sheffield's six constituencies had signed a petition calling for MPs to change the curriculum – among more than 15,000 from across Yorkshire and The Humber.

The breakdown of signatures in each constituency is:

Sheffield Central: 1,116 people signed

Sheffield, Hallam: 702

Sheffield, Heeley: 364

Penistone and Stocksbridge: 184

Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough: 234

Sheffield South East: 167

The petition on Parliament’s website, created by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, has amassed 234,000 signatures in its first week, meaning it will be considered for a debate in Westminster.

It wants to create a “far more inclusive curriculum” by making education compulsory on topics such as Britain’s role in colonisation and the transatlantic slave trade.

It reads: “By educating on the events of the past, we can forge a better future.

“Colonial powers must own up to their pasts by raising awareness of the forced labour of black people, past and present mistreatment of BAME people, and most importantly, how this contributes to the unfair systems of power at the foundation of our modern society.”

The death of American George Floyd while in police custody reinvigorated Black Lives Matter protests throughout the UK, and sparked public debate on the nation’s history as a colonial empire.

Fill In The Blanks, a group of sixth form students from south London who support the petition, had been campaigning for a more “honest” curriculum before the latest global protests began.

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