Abstract
The omission of Florence Nightingale in the government’s latest history curriculum draft for schools has been branded a ‘national disgrace’. Education secretary Michael Gove last week revealed there were no plans for children to learn about Miss Nightingale in schools. Instead, the government recommends schoolchildren learn about war nurses Edith Cavell and Mary Seacole. The new draft states that five to seven year olds should be taught to compare the lives of pairs of ‘significant’ people such as war nurses Mary Seacole and Edith Cavell, or explorers Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong. The stated pairings are only recommendations, however, so teachers are free to substitute them for other historical figures. Miss Nightingale was mentioned twice in a previous curriculum draft, but both references have now disappeared. Mr Gove redrafted the history section after it was criticised for being too prescriptive and neglecting world history. An earlier draft omitted Mrs Seacole, which led to 36,000 people signing a petition to get her reinstated. Natasha McEnroe, director of the Florence Nightingale Museum, said:
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