Home Office tried to ‘sanitise’ staff education module on colonialism

Disagreements have led to delay in course rollout as civil servants think empire material too controversial'

Civil servants have attempted to sanitise" a Home Office teaching module on race, empire and colonialism, according to those involved in devising a mandatory course on British history for the department's 36,000 employees.

Disagreements have led to a year-long delay in the rollout of the project, which was due to be launched in June 2021. Home Office civil servants are understood to be nervous that some of the proposed material addressing issues of race, colonialism and empire is too controversial" and have urged academics to tone down some of the content.