’VE just read that Jeremy Paxman has written a critique in the Radio Times saying that the education system doesn’t teach pupils about the British Empire. Surely this can’t be true?

Not to teach about the Empire is totally wrong as it forms such an important part of our history.

Apparently, Paxman was told by one teacher, “It was a bad thing, end of story. It’s irrelevant.”

Just why is there this loathing of our history? Britain is inevitably portrayed as being a fearful oppressor who ground the locals into the dust wherever the Union flag was raised and, doubtless, there were a few transgressors among the many thousands of British colonials who administered the countries Britain colonised.

However, most were a force for good. So why does the modern educational system choose not to teach pupils about our Empire, if indeed this is the case?

Unfortunately, once teachers decide to erase certain facts, then whole tracts of history would also have to be expunged. After all, the Romans weren’t exactly paragons of virtue.

History must not be changed and, whether those idiot teachers like it, or not, it is they who are irrelevant, not the Empire.

Philip Roe, Roman Avenue South, Stamford Bridge, York.