Pupils to debate both ‘triumphs and traumas’ of the British Empire to counteract ‘algorithm-driven outrage’
A history education charity, Parallel Histories, has launched a free resource for secondary schools encouraging pupils to debate the British Empire from opposing viewpoints, arguing it was either a "force for progress" or a "system of exploitation and oppression." The initiative aims to give teachers more confidence in handling contested historical topics, amid concerns that some schools either teach such subjects in a partisan way or avoid them altogether. Organisers say the approach helps pupils understand why people disagree about history, politics and identity, rather than pushing them towards a single fixed conclusion.
The resource, called "On British Empire," provides source-based material drawn from a range of perspectives, including British politicians who framed imperial expansion as a moral duty, Indian nationalists describing colonial economic harm, and Caribbean voices addressing slavery and identity. Pupils are split into teams to argue one side before switching to argue the other, then encouraged to form their own view. Parallel Histories, co-founded in 2017 by the late teacher Michael Davies, works with over 3,000 schools and has produced similar dual-narrative resources on topics such as the Israel-Palestine conflict and Margaret Thatcher. Chief executive Bill Rammell said the aim is to trust students to weigh contradictions themselves rather than being swayed by "algorithm-driven outrage."
- Charity launches free schools resource debating British Empire's pros and cons
- Pupils argue both sides before forming their own conclusions
- Aims to counter partisan teaching and social media-driven polarisation
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Parallel Histories is a charity that helps schools teach history topics where people strongly disagree, by getting pupils to argue both sides of an argument rather than being told one "correct" answer. It was set up in 2017 and already works with thousands of secondary schools, having previously produced similar dual-perspective materials on subjects such as the Israel-Palestine conflict and Margaret Thatcher's premiership.
Its new resource, "On British Empire," tackles one of the most contested areas of British history: whether the empire should be judged mainly as a source of progress and development, or as a system built on exploitation, oppression and slavery. Pupils are given source material from a range of perspectives, including British political figures, Indian nationalists and Caribbean voices, and are asked to argue one side before switching to defend the opposite view.
The project reflects wider concerns among teachers and educators that topics like empire are either taught from a single fixed viewpoint or avoided altogether for fear of controversy, while young people increasingly form opinions through social media rather than balanced debate. Bill Rammell, the charity's chief executive, frames the initiative as a way of helping pupils weigh conflicting evidence and reach their own conclusions, rather than being shaped by online echo chambers.