A YORK university student is leading the charge to get more history of African Caribbean heritage into the British education syllabus.

Olivia Wyatt, 21, is a third-year history student at the University of York and a member of the Young Historians Project - which aims to highlight the longstanding presence of black people in Britain.

Olivia said that the recent Black Lives Matters protests - following the death George Floyd in Minneapolis, America - can hopefully be a driving force too.

She also works with various Year 9 and Year 10 students, teaching them about the history of Africa women in British healthcare, to encourage students to take history at GCSE and A-level.

She added that in 2016 only three black students were admitted to training as history teachers - with history being the third most unpopular subject among black undergraduates.

She added: “One of the many reasons why history is important is because it creates a sense of belonging. There is very little in the current curriculum on the achievements of black women - in school or university - so there is very little incentive for black students to study history as a subject where they don’t see themselves as represented.

“We need to understand that black British history did not just start with Windrush and that black people have always been a part of Britain and hopefully that understanding, which starts in school, that can lead to the eradication of racism.

“It’s important to include aspects like the empire in history but also question who is writing this and choosing the research questions. Black people are often the subject of questions but not helping to choose them.”