CALLS to ‘decolonise’ the curriculum and teach Black history in schools is growing in Bolton.

Former and current students and parents from schools throughout Bolton have put their names to open letters urging schools to bring about change in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of American George Floyd.

The Bolton News reported on an open letter written by students and alumni of Bolton School­— one of the country’s top schools ­— and the school says it has launched a consultation on the curriculum.

The former headboy of Canon Slade, Kingsley Jones has penned an open letter to his former school calling for changes to be made to the curriculum to help to “combat the deep-seated prejudices built into the way our society currently functions”.

And there is a petition on Change.org by ‘students, alumni, parents, and friends of Rivington and Blackrod High School’ calling for the Horwich school to implement a decolonised curriculum to fight “the racism so prevalent within our society today”.

Kinsgley, who has just graduated from university points to the curriculum failing to recognise the contributions other nations made to the country’s history and the injustices against the,

He said the letter has been signed by students and alumni, dating back over 30-years.

Kingsley said: "The murder of George Floyd ought to prompt all of us to challenge the ways in which we contribute to systemic racism in the UK by firstly starting with ourselves.

"We strongly believe that leaving formal education without ever properly addressing the full picture of British colonial history and its ongoing legacy allows racism to continue to enter through the back door of British society.

" Furthermore, as a Church of England school, Canon Slade has a moral obligation to be at the forefront of fighting injustices, teaching about reconciliation, and repenting of our participation in devaluing human life.

"In future, we hope that students leaving Canon Slade are more conscious of the uncomfortable facts of British history and to fully appreciate cultural diversity within Bolton and beyond. Although curriculum reform alone is not enough, it represents a starting point to create a society where BAME communities are not handed a disadvantage for simply being born with a different colour skin.

" I think the petition is a clear example of a multigenerational movement which demands systemic solutions to systemic problems."