Lee Anderson says schools are to blame for Gen Z’s D-Day ignorance.
The Reform MP was reacting to new data from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that found one in five young people “don’t know” what the significance of D-Day is.
Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the largest seaborne invasion in history, there have been renewed calls for better education on the matter.
“Don’t blame Gen Z on this”, Anderson said on GB News.
Lee Anderson joined Patrick Christys on GB News
GB NEWS
“When I was at school, we had a link to our history of the Second World War.
“Some of our teachers actually fought in it. My grandparents, my grandad, he’d been in North Africa and Italy, so we had that as a generation. We had a direct link to our past.
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“I think the schools have got to take some responsibility on this.
“Our teachers, they should be getting veterans into school to teach our young people.
“Some of these schools are more interested in dragging drag queens in, dressed in ridiculous outfits and blonde wigs to read our kids silly stories.”
GB News host Patrick Christys waded in on the discussion to add: “Some of these schools would be more inclined to get a Palestinian freedom fighter in, wouldn’t they?
Youngsters spoke to GB News's Jeff Moody
GB NEWS /. PA
“Than someone who fought in the war or was a Falklands hero. That’s where we’re at.”
Anderson added: “Young people will only learn what they are taught. It’s incumbent on our teachers and society to make sure that our young people learn their history.”
It comes after GB News reporter Jeff Moody visited Barnstaple, Devon, to speak to young people about their knowledge on the matter.
“I know it’s very important, but I don’t remember that much about it”, said one.
D-Day's 80th anniversary will be marked this year
PA“Is it something to do with the war?” She added.
Despite the young Brit’s knowledge about the historic event being in question, she stressed the importance of paying tribute to our fallen heroes.
“It’s about the people who fought for put country and the people we lost”, she said.
“I think it’s really brave, what they managed to do all those years ago. It’s absolutely amazing.
“It’s worth celebrating because they did so much for us. The least we can do is have one day for them.”
Another young Brit was also not clued up on his country’s past.
Asked by Jeff Moody if he knows what it is, he said: “D-Day, that the end of World War Two isn’t it?”
He added: “I don’t really know much about it. I used to know a bit, but not anymore.”