Menino: Battle of Bunker Hill not taught in school

Mayor Thomas M. Menino made an extraordinary statement today at the base of the Bunker Hill monument, speaking on the very spot of that bloody struggle 234 years ago that marked a turning point in the American Revolution. The Battle of Bunker Hill -- that heroic stand by a ragtag army of farmers against a larger and better-trained British force -- is no longer part of classroom instruction right there in Charlestown.

"These youngsters over here aren’t taught that in school any more," Menino said as he gestured toward a group 80 children from two nearby Boston public grammar schools. "And so we are losing part of that American history."

The remarks came at a ceremony marking Bunker Hill Day, one of two Suffolk County-only holidays under fire. Along with Evacuation Day on March 17, critics have taken aim at the holidays, which give some 35,000 workers days off and cost an estimated $5 million. The mayor has artfully avoided taking a position on the controversy, pointing out again before his speech that they are "state holidays" which the city is required to treat as paid days off because of its labor contracts.

The fact that the relevance of Bunker Hill is not taught in school, however, is an entirely different issue. Curriculum outlined by the state Department of Education strongly suggests that Massachusetts students learn about the battle. In fact, the state recommends that third graders should be able to explain the "important political, economic, and military developments leading to and during the American Revolution." The guidelines make specific reference to one major military engagement of the Revolution: the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Officials at Boston Public Schools could not be immediately reached this afternoon for comment. They took the day off to observe Bunker Hill Day. The mayor's spokeswoman, Dot Joyce, clarified his comments when asked after the speech, noting that Menino did not know the history curriculum taught in each of Boston's public classrooms.

"I think what he means in the greater context," Joyce said, "is that in the hectic world we live in, we need to stop and reflect on the history in our own back yard."