Report

Even fewer, only one in seven, know about Field Marshal Montgomery, who commanded our armed forces on D-Day.

The Battle of Waterloo, which sealed the defeat of Napoleon, is only known about by just over a third of young people.

Oliver Cromwell, who was crucial to the development of democracy in Britain and whose statue stands outside the Houses of Parliament, is known about by only 44 per cent of young adults.

The disturbing lack of knowledge among young adults is because of the truncated teaching of history in our schools. Most advanced countries – such as Germany, France, Italy and Australia – teach history to all children up to the age of 16 or more. Britain is an outlier in having history as a mandatory subject only until the age of 14.

The failure to teach children for longer is due to a decision taken by the Secretary of State for Education in 1988 – a decision he later came to regret.

This mistake should be put right. Knowledge of history is vital for a rounded education and equips people to be voting citizens. History should be taught to all children up to the age of 16.