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New national data suggests that more than 80% of British schools and universities plan to move the study of the Conservative Party from Political Science to History modules from the next academic year.
“We have to ensure the syllabus reflects the realities of modern politics,” explained Dr. Richard Withers, Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Central London. “Continuing to teach about the Tories in Political Science in 2025 would be like including woolly mammoths in a zoology course.”
Under the new curriculum, pupils will encounter the Conservative Party briefly during a GCSE History unit, typically positioned between the Corn Laws and the Industrial Revolution. The lesson will cover the party’s entire lifespan – from a few aristocrats in wigs, through a lady made of iron who closed some mines, to a populist leader with dishevelled hair and a wrinkled suit, whose liberal policies and open door to the world helped bring about the party’s sudden extinction.
“We recognise that a small number of people still believe the Tories exist as a living political force,” Withers added. “But then, there are also several reported sightings of the Loch Ness Monster every year.”
