How our past created the Oldham of today

STORY SO FAR . . . Councillor Hugh Mc Donald with (from left) Crompton House pupil Niamh Bird, Failsworth pupil Rachel Redshaw, school improvement adviser Richard Gore, Failsworth pupil Jack Cromwell, Father Phil Sumner and Crompton House pupil Louis Lee.

THE history of how immigration and settlement has created a diverse Oldham is told in a new resource for schools.

The Oldham Story: Lessons in Identity, History and Conflict has been developed by council staff and teachers.

It helps pupils understand the historical context and reasons for migration to the borough, the potential reasons for conflict and the damaging effect of racism on people’s lives.

The aim is to strengthen race relations, while personal tales, archive material, census figures and newspaper articles all help pupils to identify with stories of migration.

These include the background to 19th-century Irish immigration to Oldham which resulted in the so-called Orange and Green riots in 1861 when Catholic churches were attacked.

The town’s Irish-born population had increased from 889 in 1841 to 5,132 20 years later, as the potato famine and Protestant Scottish and English land rule forced millions to flee Ireland.

This is compared and contrasted with the story of 20th-century immigration, such as from Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 1970s.

The Oldham Story was developed because resources created after the 2001 riots, although praised nationally, were out of date and not being used extensively. It is available on line and in CD and booklet form.

Councillor Hugh McDonald, cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: “Oldham Council has worked closely over many years with schools and other organisations to produce relevant teaching resources that assist pupils in understanding the society they live in.

“This work has already been trialled in secondary schools over the past year and has been extremely well received.

“It builds on the considerable levels of experience that have been built up over many years in effectively teaching subjects such as identity and cohesion by getting pupils to think about and understand how and why their community has evolved and adapted over the generations.

“This is the latest in a range of innovative resources produced by Oldham Council that have been highlighted as best practice by Government and other organisations.

“I am sure that this latest piece of work will continue to receive critical external acclaim and value in the classroom.”

For more information, contact Richard Gore on 0161 770 3670 or e-mail richard.gore@oldham.gov.uk.