In defence of The Historical Association

This letter was published in The Times today:

As historians from the Higher Education sector, we deplore Michael Gove’s extraordinary and misleading attack on the Historical Association in his recent speech at Brighton College. 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 Association’s journal Primary History, he claims that ‘the Historical Association suggest 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 at any rate ignores the important statement that ‘Publication of a contribution in Primary History does not necessarily imply the Historical Association’s approval of the opinions expressed in it.’

Mr. Gove would have us believe that the HA is an ideologically motivated organisation dedicated to the erosion of academic standards. In fact, its 6000 plus members have widely divergent political views but are united by their love of history and their devotion to bringing high quality scholarship to schools and the wider public. The key skill that the study of history teaches is the ability to evaluate evidence. Regrettably, what Mr. Gove has demonstrated in his speech is a remarkable capacity for manipulating and distorting it.

Dr Sophie T. Ambler, King's College London
Dr Sara Barker, University of Exeter
Professor Jonathan Barry, University of Exeter
Professor Eugenio F. Biagini, University of Cambridge
Dr Adrian Bingham, University of Sheffield
Dr Helen Birkett, University of Exeter
Professor Lawrence Black, University of York
Dr Elizabeth Boyle, University of Cambridge
Professor Kathleen Burk, Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History, University College London
Dr John-Henry Clay, Durham University
Dr Timothy Cooper, University of Exeter
Dr Pat Cullum, , University of Huddersfield
Professor Martin Daunton, University of Cambridge
Dr Simon Ditchfield, University of York,
Kenneth F. Duggan, Doctoral Student, King's College London
Dr Ann-Marie Einhaus, Northumbria University
Dr Steven Gunn, Merton College, Oxford
Professor Sarah Hamilton, University of Exeter
Dr Freyja Cox Jensen, University of Exeter
Dr Helen Foxhall Forbes, University of Exeter
Dr Felicity Heal, Emeritus Fellow, Jesus College, Oxford.
Professor David Hendy, University of Sussex.
Dr Clive Holmes, Emeritus Fellow and Lecturer in History at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford
Dr Matt Houlbrook, Magdalen College, Oxford
Dr Bronach Kane, Bath Spa University
Professor Evan Mawdsley, Senior Professorial Research Fellow, University of Glasgow
Dr Helen McCarthy, Queen Mary University of London
Dr George Molyneaux, All Souls College, Oxford
Dr Staffan Müller-Wille, University of Exeter
Jamie Page, PhD student, St Andrews Institute of Mediaeval Studies
Dr Hugh Pemberton
Senior Lecturer in Modern British History
University of Bristol
Dr Catriona Pennell, University of Exeter
Dr Tim Rees, University of Exeter
Dr Matthias Reiss, University of Exeter
Dr Catherine Rider, University of Exeter
Dr Laura Sangha, University of Exeter
Dr Levi Roach, University of Exeter
Dr Mark Roodhouse, University of York.
Professor John Shepherd, University of Huddersfield
Dr Nicholas Terry, University of Exeter
Dr. David Thackeray, University of Exeter
Professor Patricia M. Thane, Institute for Contemporary British History, Kings College, London
Professor Andrew Thorpe, University of Exeter
Dr. Hereward Tilton, University of Exeter
Dr Daniel Todman, Queen Mary University of London
Laura Tompkins, PhD Candidate, University of St Andrews
Professor Richard Toye, University of Exeter
Professor Paul Ward, University of Huddersfield
Dr Cordelia Warr, University of Manchester
Tosh Warwick, PhD candidate, University of Huddersfield
Professor Jane Whittle, University of Exeter
Dr Alun Withey, University of Exeter
Professor Matthew Worley, University of Reading
Professor Chris Wrigley, Professor Emeritus, Nottingham University

The following also wish to be associated with the letter:

Dr KH Adler, Department of History, University of Nottingham

Dr. Sascha Auerbach, Department of History, University of Nottingham
Ann Garfield, PhD Student, University of Nottingham
Dr Robert Alexander Hearn, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Universita degli Studi di Genova, and  formerly University of Nottingham
Professor Michael Jones, Correspondant de l'Institut, Emeritus Professor of Medieval French History,
University of Nottingham
Dr Conor Kostick, Advanced Research Fellow, University of Nottingham.
Dr Joe Merton, Teaching Associate, University of Nottingham
Matt Phillips, PhD student, University of Nottingham
Laura Sumner, PhD student, University of Nottingham
Dr. Claire Taylor, Associate Professor in History, University of Nottingham.
Professor John W. Young, Professor of International History, University of Nottingham