Lies My Teacher Told Me

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

All Is Revision

20200127

20250901 (BBC7)

The school history text book has always been a potential minefield. Every nation setting its histories before its children makes choices. The textbook is frequently used as a primer for the story of the nation when young minds are often unlikely to question or even pay attention to a story that may go on to shape their understanding of their place as citizens so what do we want children to make of their own national past? Should we even teach them a history of the nation? Are facts and dates the stuff of critical understanding? Historian Priya Atwal explores the global issues in telling textbook national history from Lebanon to Japan to Northern Ireland & India as she explores history's many uses as pedagogy and sometimes propaganda.

Producer: Mark Burman

Historian Priya Atwal explores the global pitfalls in telling textbook national history

The school history textbook is often used to tell the story of a nation when young minds are unlikely to question the content - or even pay much attention to it.

The historian Priya Atwal, explores the global issues in telling textbook national history - from Lebanon to Japan to Northern Ireland and India - as she explores history's uses as pedagogy and sometimes even propaganda.

School textbook history can often reveal much about a nation's desire to shape or avoid the complexities of its past. From 2020.

[LISTEN NOW]

Lebanon-history Interrupted

20200128

20250902 (BBC7)

Historian Priya Atwal explores the global pitfalls in telling textbook national history. Lebanon has suffered sectarian violence, invasion, civil war and turmoil for much of its history. The future itself is now being played out daily on the streets amidst mass protest as people seek redress for a more just society. Nothing that has led to this struggle or indeed much of anything else relevant to Lebanon's modern existence can be found in the classroom itself. Children must learn a history that is frozen at 1943, the year Lebanon achieved independence. It has been this way for generations. When peace finally came after the bitter civil war all parties called for a new unified history to be written-itself extremely problematic but nothing has been agreed on so for now children open their textbooks to a past where time is frozen.

Lebanon has suffered sectarian violence, invasion, civil war and turmoil for much of its history. Nothing that has led to this struggle - or indeed much of anything else relevant to Lebanon's modern existence - can be found in the classroom itself. Children must learn a history that is frozen at 1943, the year Lebanon achieved independence and it has been this way for generations.

Producer Mark Burman

In Lebanon, the past is frozen - history lessons stop at 1943.

In Lebanon, the future is uncertain and the past is frozen - history stops at 1943. Priya Atwal on textbook history. From 2020.

[LISTEN NOW]

Saffronising History

20200129

20250903 (BBC7)

Historian Priya Atwal explores the global pitfalls in telling textbook national history. India began its new independent life with its history textbooks still coloured by a colonial telling of the past. A new generation of historians like Romila Thapar brought both academic rigour and historical enquiry to the creation of new texts for the classroom, but increasingly the 'saffronisation' of history - Hindu nationalist narratives - have begun to impact on both the facts of history and the struggle for the story of India.

Producer: Mark Burman

India began its new independent life with its history textbooks still coloured by a colonial telling of the past. A new generation of historians like Romila Thapar brought both academic rigour and historical enquiry to the creation of new texts for the classroom. However, increasingly, the 'saffronisation' of history - Hindu nationalist narratives - have begun to impact on both the facts of history and the struggle for the story of India.

First broadcast in January 2020.

The impact of Hindu nationalist narratives on recounting the story of India.

In India, both Hindu nationalism and old colonial narratives had a significant role. Priya Atwal on textbook history. From 2020.

[LISTEN NOW]

Japan - Revising The Past

20200130

20250904 (BBC7)

Historian Priya Atwal explores the global pitfalls in telling textbook national history. Japan's 20th century Imperial past and war in South East Asia has often been a fault line at home & abroad. Within Japan itself the American occupation left a confusing legacy of freedom from direct government interference as to what should be told in the history textbook and a system of opaque censorship. For a generation of teachers scarred by the war there was an insistence on airing the crimes of the recent past and series of trials brought by one historian over freedom from textbook interference eventually saw a nationalist backlash over the emphasis on 'negative' history. In turn these internal disputes over textbook accounts of the war and their possible distortions provoked diplomatic rows with China and South Korea over the legacy of the past & Japanese contrition.

Producer: Mark Burman

Japan's 20th century Imperial past and war in South East Asia, has often been a fault line at home and abroad. Within Japan itself, the American occupation left a confusing legacy of freedom from direct government interference as to what should be told in the history textbook and a system of opaque censorship.

Internal disputes over textbook accounts of the war and their possible distortions, provoked diplomatic rows with China and South Korea over the legacy of the past and Japanese contrition.

Presenter Priya Atwal

The controversial history lessons in Japanese schools.

Japan's 20th-century war, empire and conquest has often been a fault line. Priya Atwal on textbook history. From 2020.

[LISTEN NOW]

05 LAST

Northern Ireland-healing History?

20200131

20250905 (BBC7)

Historian Priya Atwal concludes her examination of how national history is told across the globe with the story of Northern Ireland. History itself, violent, sectarian & present frequently surrounded the classroom with its pupils educated in a segregated school system in a divided society. But beginning in the 1970's a new kind of history teaching began to promise a transformation in the ways history could detoxify partisan narratives.

Producer: Mark Burman

Historian Priya Atwal ends her examination of textbook history with Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland, where pupils were educated in a segregated school system in a divided society. But beginning in the 1970's, a new kind of history teaching began to promise a transformation in the ways history could detoxify partisan narratives.

Concluding part of an examination of textbook history presented by Priya Atwal

In the 1970's, a new kind of history teaching began in Northern Ireland.

Teaching during deep divisions to post conflict in Northern Ireland. Priya Atwal concludes examining textbook history. From 2020.

[LISTEN NOW]

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	All Is Revision	20200127	20250901 (BBC7)	The school history text book has always been a potential minefield. Every nation setting its histories before its children makes choices. The textbook is frequently used as a primer for the story of the nation when young minds are often unlikely to question or even pay attention to a story that may go on to shape their understanding of their place as citizens so what do we want children to make of their own national past? Should we even teach them a history of the nation? Are facts and dates the stuff of critical understanding? Historian Priya Atwal explores the global issues in telling textbook national history from Lebanon to Japan to Northern Ireland & India as she explores history's many uses as pedagogy and sometimes propaganda. Producer: Mark Burman Historian Priya Atwal explores the global pitfalls in telling textbook national history The school history textbook is often used to tell the story of a nation when young minds are unlikely to question the content - or even pay much attention to it. The historian Priya Atwal, explores the global issues in telling textbook national history - from Lebanon to Japan to Northern Ireland and India - as she explores history's uses as pedagogy and sometimes even propaganda. School textbook history can often reveal much about a nation's desire to shape or avoid the complexities of its past. From 2020. [LISTEN NOW]
02	Lebanon-history Interrupted	20200128	20250902 (BBC7)	Historian Priya Atwal explores the global pitfalls in telling textbook national history. Lebanon has suffered sectarian violence, invasion, civil war and turmoil for much of its history. The future itself is now being played out daily on the streets amidst mass protest as people seek redress for a more just society. Nothing that has led to this struggle or indeed much of anything else relevant to Lebanon's modern existence can be found in the classroom itself. Children must learn a history that is frozen at 1943, the year Lebanon achieved independence. It has been this way for generations. When peace finally came after the bitter civil war all parties called for a new unified history to be written-itself extremely problematic but nothing has been agreed on so for now children open their textbooks to a past where time is frozen. Lebanon has suffered sectarian violence, invasion, civil war and turmoil for much of its history. Nothing that has led to this struggle - or indeed much of anything else relevant to Lebanon's modern existence - can be found in the classroom itself. Children must learn a history that is frozen at 1943, the year Lebanon achieved independence and it has been this way for generations. Producer Mark Burman In Lebanon, the past is frozen - history lessons stop at 1943. In Lebanon, the future is uncertain and the past is frozen - history stops at 1943. Priya Atwal on textbook history. From 2020. [LISTEN NOW]
03	Saffronising History	20200129	20250903 (BBC7)	Historian Priya Atwal explores the global pitfalls in telling textbook national history. India began its new independent life with its history textbooks still coloured by a colonial telling of the past. A new generation of historians like Romila Thapar brought both academic rigour and historical enquiry to the creation of new texts for the classroom, but increasingly the 'saffronisation' of history - Hindu nationalist narratives - have begun to impact on both the facts of history and the struggle for the story of India. Producer: Mark Burman India began its new independent life with its history textbooks still coloured by a colonial telling of the past. A new generation of historians like Romila Thapar brought both academic rigour and historical enquiry to the creation of new texts for the classroom. However, increasingly, the 'saffronisation' of history - Hindu nationalist narratives - have begun to impact on both the facts of history and the struggle for the story of India. First broadcast in January 2020. The impact of Hindu nationalist narratives on recounting the story of India. In India, both Hindu nationalism and old colonial narratives had a significant role. Priya Atwal on textbook history. From 2020. [LISTEN NOW]
04	Japan - Revising The Past	20200130	20250904 (BBC7)	Historian Priya Atwal explores the global pitfalls in telling textbook national history. Japan's 20th century Imperial past and war in South East Asia has often been a fault line at home & abroad. Within Japan itself the American occupation left a confusing legacy of freedom from direct government interference as to what should be told in the history textbook and a system of opaque censorship. For a generation of teachers scarred by the war there was an insistence on airing the crimes of the recent past and series of trials brought by one historian over freedom from textbook interference eventually saw a nationalist backlash over the emphasis on 'negative' history. In turn these internal disputes over textbook accounts of the war and their possible distortions provoked diplomatic rows with China and South Korea over the legacy of the past & Japanese contrition. Producer: Mark Burman Japan's 20th century Imperial past and war in South East Asia, has often been a fault line at home and abroad. Within Japan itself, the American occupation left a confusing legacy of freedom from direct government interference as to what should be told in the history textbook and a system of opaque censorship. Internal disputes over textbook accounts of the war and their possible distortions, provoked diplomatic rows with China and South Korea over the legacy of the past and Japanese contrition. Presenter Priya Atwal The controversial history lessons in Japanese schools. Japan's 20th-century war, empire and conquest has often been a fault line. Priya Atwal on textbook history. From 2020. [LISTEN NOW]
05 LAST	Northern Ireland-healing History?	20200131	20250905 (BBC7)	Historian Priya Atwal concludes her examination of how national history is told across the globe with the story of Northern Ireland. History itself, violent, sectarian & present frequently surrounded the classroom with its pupils educated in a segregated school system in a divided society. But beginning in the 1970's a new kind of history teaching began to promise a transformation in the ways history could detoxify partisan narratives. Producer: Mark Burman Historian Priya Atwal ends her examination of textbook history with Northern Ireland Northern Ireland, where pupils were educated in a segregated school system in a divided society. But beginning in the 1970's, a new kind of history teaching began to promise a transformation in the ways history could detoxify partisan narratives. Concluding part of an examination of textbook history presented by Priya Atwal In the 1970's, a new kind of history teaching began in Northern Ireland. Teaching during deep divisions to post conflict in Northern Ireland. Priya Atwal concludes examining textbook history. From 2020. [LISTEN NOW]