England used Loch Ness Monster to shape anti-Scottish bias, say education chiefs

England keeps Scotland suppressed using the Loch Ness Monster, education chiefs say.

Pupils north of the border will be told how class structure had a role in creating the legend, and stories surrounding Nessie may have shaped attitudes to Scottish independence and the Cold War.

Nessie classes will help 11-to-14-year-olds recognise persuasion and bias, asserting the monster was designed as a tourist attraction to appeal to the motoring middle classes during the Depression.

The lesson plan says low-budget 1934 horror romp The Secret Of The Loch shows the somewhat ambivalent position that Scotland holds in the Union.

"The very idea of a prehistoric monster in a loch affirms the stereotypical idea that Scotland – by contrast to England – is a rural wilderness, perhaps one bypassed by progress,’’ it says.

Pupils will also study 1996 family drama Loch Ness, starring Ted Danson and Joely Richardson, and 1983 short The Loch Ness Monster Movie in which an animated monster rampages through Edinburgh.

The teaching aid says: "This monstrous destruction of the nation’s capital questions whether Scotland may be dragged into the dangerous arena of the Cold War due to its relationship with England – and indeed, Britain’s special relationship with the USA.

"In this movie Nessie is a Scottish monster, questioning whether, in the circumstances it finds itself in, it should reconsider its position in Britain in order to find a different place in the world.’’

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said the lesson plan was anti-British bias.

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"It seeks to brainwash pupils into believing that Scotland is the victim of a wicked conspiracy to subvert and infantilise its identity,’’ he said.

"The nationalist cause must be in desperate trouble if it has to resort to such propaganda tactics with young people.

"My advice to teachers is to use the Nessie Plan itself as an example of how bias is used by educators.’’

Education Scotland said: "Through the study of films the resource encourages students to debate, to analyse bias and understand the role film has played in shaping the global view of Scotland.

"It also seeks to support pupils in learning about the importance of respecting the heritage and identity of others.’’

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