I agree Martin, that this would be a great subject to be taught in school. Children would learn so much besides family or local history too - english, maths, map reading, research skills etc.
I agree that there would no doubt be hinderances due to political correctness. However, perhaps there might be ways to get around this. Perhaps, the children could be offered the choice to research their own family, or just a particular branch of their family or perhaps a famous person or some other unrelated person e.g. someone who fought in WW1. This would no doubt be very useful/helpful for a local war group society or lical history group. In the run up to the Armistice Centenary some of our local children did this.
I think in view of political correctness a form giving consent would likely have to be signed by parents. I can understand this as some parents might naturally be wary of family secrets coming out if the children were given free rein.
I think I would have loved to have studied family history at school. Instead, in my teenage years we were taught, very dryly about the industrial revolution. I think the way it was delivered it may have put some of my peers off history for life . I remember that at the time the industrial revolution meant nothing to me - I could not see the significance of it. I have always liked history but in a way that this relates directly to people - particularly in the way of individual stories.
I agree too Martin, that we often leave it too late to ask questions. I now think back agog to the memories I have of being told family stories but then just accepting what I was given without asking for more information.
For instance, I was told about my illegitimate Grandmother's birth when young but never, through the years thought to ask if it was known who her Father may have been. Also, my much older sister, 22 years between us now deceased - went with my Mother to stay with my Dad's Grandmother during the war when Dad was overseas. Now sister is deceased I realise I should have asked her lots of questions about our Great Grandmother when I had the chance.
