Award-winning UK teacher aims to show adults their historical blind spots

Shalina Patel’s book highlights stories traditionally left out of the textbooks, particular those of women and people of colour

Adults need to revisit their history lessons to learn where their “blind spots” are after schools failed to thoroughly teach them about colonialism and empire, according to a leading history teacher.

This is the aim of a new book, The History Lessons, by the award-winning teacher Shalina Patel, which spotlights the historical figures and stories left out of the textbooks – in particular those of women and people of colour – to challenge entrenched narratives.