LETTER : VE Day deserves to be celebrated with style

From Mrs Emma McKendrick

Sir: Over the past few days the media, understandably concerned to anticipate the coming VE Day celebrations, have attacked schoolchildren's lack of awareness and criticised schools for not allowing their pupils to have the day off to celebrate.

May I point out that in this school, as in many others, our history department has constantly and consistently taught our pupils about the war, that many schools take students on history expeditions to the Somme battlefields and to Berlin, and that many candidates in GCSE and A-level examinations choose questions on the First World War and the Second World War.

Next Monday this school, again in common with many others, will be flying the flag, devoting a special commemorative morning chapel service to VE Day, and observing the silence. Close as we are now to the all-important GCSE and A-level exams, this cannot be the time to abandon lessons and school work for a day.

We can and will celebrate together as a school community in a way in which we hope our students will gain both a greater understanding of the history behind the day and a respect for all those who fought in the war.

We are neither unaware nor uncaring about VE Day, nor our are pupils.

Yours faithfully,

EMMA MCKENDRICK

Headmistress

The Royal School

Bath

1 May