REGARDING Tom Venour's letter of June 19, I am a former St Mark's student. I studied for a GCSE and A-level in history. After finishing my A-levels in 2002 I gained a BA in history, an MA in medieval history and I am currently studying towards a PhD in early-Tudor government.
I think it's fair to say that the historical education I received at St Mark's set the foundations for my general historical knowledge. Indeed, as a historian myself, I think it is very important that secondary education includes a refreshingly wide range of general historical topics.
The thrust of Mr Venour's argument is that Jack the Ripper is of no historical importance whatever and that this topic has been included in the history syllabus simply because GCSE students may find the subject enjoyable.
It is axiomatic that echoes from the past bellow down the corridors of history: we need only look at events in Ipswich during November and December 2006 for direct parallels between Jack the Ripper and Steve Wright - or the 'Ipswich Ripper' as he was later dubbed.
Perhaps it is also worth bearing in mind that enjoyment in education is currently one of the key teaching objectives used by Ofsted to gauge the quality of primary and secondary education.
I certainly owe much to the history department of St Mark's for instilling an enjoyment of my chosen subject and future career path.
SIMON LAMBE St Mark's Catholic School 1995-2002, Via email.
