Students learn little about the British empire and its far-reaching impact, says Elizabeth Graham
The British public in general, and not just civil servants and politicians, are ignorant about Britain’s colonial past (Ghosts of Empire: what Kwasi Kwarteng’s book tells us about him, 30 August).
I teach at University College London and often refer to the history of the British empire when discussing colonial economies or growth of commercial interests (eg the East India Company) in triggering wars of conquest. My British students stare blankly, because they know next to nothing about British colonial history.
