John Winston Howard always appeared so sure that he would leave an enduring legacy.
So it must flick him on the raw every time the Rudd Government announces that it is looking to cut into this 'legacy'.
Now one of his pet jingoistic policies, a national history syllabus modelled on his own personal values and beliefs, is under threat.
"THE Rudd Government is expected to scrap plans to force the states to introduce compulsory Australian history classes in years 9 and 10 from next year.
The new Government is also expected to dump a controversial model Australian history syllabus released by former prime minister John Howard on the eve of the election, after it was criticised for being overly nationalistic and "barely teachable".
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Julia Gillard has told The Age that although history would be a compulsory component of the national curriculum for parts of the secondary school years, the new Government would work collaboratively with states and territories, rather than impose things on them."
In The Age today:
The Rudd Government cannot in itself lead us back from the xenophobic abyss towards which Howard was urging Australia - but it is so good to see that it is trying.
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