dune

Thinking about it the appointment of boggle eyed Balls has one advantage for the geek - he makes him look less abnormal.

I'd never ever do that.

Turkish are you a vegetarian or do you have a phobia of meat?

Your sarcasm is very very funny.

In the case of most African countries they weren't ready for majority rule - the process was rushed through in a "scramble out of Africa". Ian Smith was all for a gradual transition of power, but unfortunately the South Africans were foolish and they thought that by abandoning Rhodesia they would gain respect and be left alone - they were wrong. It was the South Africans blocking ship cargoes that finnished Rhodesia who had almost defeated the terrorists. That said the big mistake was made years before when the Rhodesians should have voted in favour of joining SA. If they had done so the Afrikaners would never have gained conntrol of the SA parliament and there would not have been a halt put on British emigration to increase the number of white settlers which would have ensured a more balanced black/white split.

Rhodesia pre 1980 Rhodesia Today

Let's look at Rhodesia. Mortality rates decreased and life expectancy increased under Colonial rule. Mortality rates increased and life expectancy decreased post 1980.

9. The life and times of Ian Douglas Smith.

Who's Johnston?

8. Georgian Flatware (Hanoverian and Old English).

You're right there.

He's not very bright.

Puncheon is from Croydon.

Does Three Lions understand that the point i'm making is that secondary school teachers aren't qualified to influence historical interpretation?

Puncheon has joined an infamous list of ex players that I hate. Weclome to the Eyal berkovic and hassan kachloul club. I hope we get rid of the little brat asap.

I'll watch it because it's on TV, but not as interested in it as a league game. Ideally Man Utd will win because our players have shown that they don't have the right mental attitude to concentrate on the league whilst we're in the cup.

This is my speicialist subject so you could be in trouble.

I know I shouldn't have but this made me laugh.

So was the British Empire generally good or generally bad for Africa?

No it doesn't because any student interested in the subject will take in the facts and do extra research and will form their own opinions - that is healthy. What isn't healthy is students being taught facts and then told what to think about them - that breeds robots.

And who is to say the conclusion you come to is correct or incorrect? That is point in all of this and is why I know you will never be competent in the subject because you don't get it.

I think this relates to the analysis issue in subjects such as History. Clearly you could get a leftie teacher interpreting events to suit his agenda, or you could get another teacher interpreting events in a PC way because he feels this is what is expected of him. By modernising teaching and only allowing teachers to teach the facts you are dealing with this problem.

I have already said that people like TLS are fine teaching from text books, but that is the extent of their ability. They are not experts or scholars in specific areas to enable them to be authroties able to offer analysis or guidance. Michael Gove is absolutely right in what he's trying to do IMO. Teachers should be there to the teach facts, not to interpret them.

The conclusion I have is that your qualification that is suitable for teaching facts, but it doesn't qaulify you to give opinions on the facts. Your knowledge is very broad and but very thin - would you agree?

We'll have to agree to disagree on that. My view is that secondary school history teachers are not qualified to analyse the subject and impart their slant on it. I think it flies in the face of learning to allow them to influence impressionable youngsters. Such analysis should be saved for universities imo. By allowing secondary school teachers to mediate in an analytical discussion you are essentially promoting them to the level of a scholar which is way above their understanding of a broad subject in which they have only a basic knowledge.