Until recently, one syllabus enabled students to select five of their six A-level modules on German history from 1917 to 1939.Sean Lang, honourary secretary of the Historical Association, who led a Government-commissioned inquiry into secondary school history, welcomed the proposals but said he was wary of ministerial interference in the curriculum."We don't have any problem with this at all. They form part of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's wider A-level reforms, which will reduce the number of modules in each subject from six to four, so they can be taught more thoroughly, in 2009.Currently, schools need only spend one-sixth of their time on British history. History exams will also be made more difficult under a shake-up proposed by the Government's exams watchdog. The changes to the sixth- form syllabus were proposed after concern that history lessons were increasingly focussed on 20th- century dictators such as Hitler and Stalin. A-level history students will be forced to spend at least a quarter of their time studying Britain's past. More British history is to be taught in schools to counter concern that young people have little understanding of the nation's past.

We just don't believe it should be used to buy influence over what is taught."Under both the academy and "trust" school programmes, the sponsor - or partner as they are referred to in the case of "trust" schools - is allowed a majority on the school governing body and can determine the curriculum.. "We just told them the sponsor didn't think their children were good enough for the academy."However, he acknowledged that it would be more difficult if sponsors and the Government offered £30m to change a school which had been struggling for years.He said that the union would be arguing that the Government should instead plough money into the 300 schools in most need of help - to allow them to have new buildings, smaller class sizes and retain teaching staff."We're not against philanthropy," he said."In fact - to use the words of Bob Geldof without the expletive - 'give us your money'. "It must be wrong that they can peddle their own prejudices and beliefs."So far the union has run three successful campaigns with parents to persuade sponsors to back out of plans to set up academies - in Doncaster, Middlesbrough and Waltham Forest, east London.In Waltham Forest, the potential sponsor said he would only go ahead with the plan provided pupils in the existing school to be replaced by the academy were not allowed into the new one."It was not very difficult to persuade parents to oppose that one," said Mr Sinnott. "It must be wrong for somebody who has money that they decide they wish to use for education to be able to buy influence over the curriculum in a school," he added. It was backed by the union's executive.Mr Sinnott said the NUT was opposed to the idea of private sponsors being able to operate a school for £2m - as happens with the academies - and dictate what should be included in the curriculum.It would campaign against any attempt to set up a "trust" school or academy. It is strange that a Government that is promoting "parent power" wishes to deny parents the opportunity of choosing whether a change of status for their school is something they want."The call to mount a campaign against "trust" schools and academies will be debated as an emergency motion at the NUT's annual conference in Torquay today.

They will urge MPs to back an amendment to the Government's legislation that will give parents the right to veto any attempt to change a school's status by voting in a ballot. Steve Sinnott, the NUT's general secretary, said the move would be in line with the Education Secretary Ruth Kelly's "parent power" initiatives - aimed at giving mothers and fathers a bigger say in the running of their children's schools."In the past, when schools became grant-maintained and opted out of local authority control (under the Conservatives), there was more democracy," said Mr Sinnott "The parents were given a choice - they had a ballot That enabled people to consider the issues. Leaders of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) will seek to enlist the support of parents to block attempts to hand control of their schools over to private sponsors. Britain's biggest teachers' union is to step up its war against the Prime Minister's plans to set up a network of independently run "trust" schools and academies throughout the country. The union claimed the local authority should have provided the teacher with a step-ladder.In another case, a primary school teacher in Somerset won £9,159 compensation when her employers ruled she was unfit to teach because she had lost her voice as a result of years of speaking to her pupils.In a third case, a teacher - also from Wales - won £2,500 because she injured her foot when it went through the steps on an approach to a temporary classroom.One of the biggest awards was £220,000 given to a technology teacher from Worcestershire who suffered significant respiratory problems through years of inhaling dust and fumes in woodwork lessons.In addition, the union won £250,000 for members who claimed criminal injuries compensation awards after assaults.. Teachers' leaders have won more than £1.7m for members as a result of accidents in school or out on trips with pupils. In one case, a report to the National Union of Teachers' annual conference revealed, a teacher in Wales won £2,500 compensation after falling off a desk in the classroom. The teacher had been trying to pin up pupils' work on the walls while standing on the desk.

The annual conference of the NASUWT voted yesterday for young teachers to be given better training and supportin dealing with the most difficult students. Julian Chapman of the union's executive revealed a dossier of intimidation towards teachers including threats such as: "I'm going to petrol bomb your car" and "My brother's going to stab you in the face".Ruth Williams, a teacher from Oxfordshire, said she had received little training in behaviour management and had had no support since finishing college.Chris Keates, the union's general secretary, said that there was a "huge problem" with teachers refusing to help junior colleagues because of fear about revealing their own difficulties."We have got to get this climate of fear out of the classroom where people feel unable to express the difficulties they are having," she said."Too few school feel able to admit when they have problems with indiscipline because they fear it will impact on the reputation of the school.". Young teachers are being driven out of the profession by violent pupils and a "climate of fear" in staffrooms which stops experienced staff from admitting there are problems, a teachers' leader has warned. [laughter] BV: And finally, Ricky, now that you've fulfilled the burning ambition to work on The Simpsons, what else is left? RG: I want to get all the nations of the world together, it doesn't matter what colour or creed, and I want to sit them down and say: "Guys, The Office is still available on DVD." 'Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife' is on Sky One at 6.30pm on Sunday 23 April. AJ: Yeah, there was a scene with Ricky and Julie Kavner [who plays Marge], which was longer than scenes we normally do, and slower-paced, but it got a bigger laugh ... RG: I learnt that you should always chew your food and never run with scissors. BV: What did you guys learn from each other, during this project? AJ: I learnt that you should always be yourself.