Philip Dunne today called on the Government to do more to encourage children to learn history.Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, today called on the Government to do more to encourage children to learn history after official figures showed that only just over a third of pupils in Shropshire were entered for GCSE history last year.

Of the 37% of pupils who did enter, only 25% of them gained a good pass (grades A to C) - a total of just 853 pupils across the whole Shropshire local education authority.

The news comes after it was revealed that 1,500 secondary schools across Britain did not enter any of their pupils for GCSE history.

Sean Lang, the secretary of the Historical Association, said: "Minister's have paid lip-service to getting the idea of Britishness across but these shocking figures show that unless they really take action and make history compulsory, it is not going to come from the schools. Giving pupils options at 14 should not limit the areas they study, but it has had that affect."

Mr Dunne added: "It is important all our children learn and understand our country's history. Not only does it help us understand so much about how this country is what it is today, but history explains our shared culture, values and knowledge. Our history is fundamental to our identity as a nation. This is why the Conservative party are currently looking into the idea of making history lessons compulsory until the age of sixteen."