Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India, once observed that �history is �a record of human progress, a record of the struggle of the advancement of the human mind, of the human spirit toward some known or unknown object�.

Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India, once observed that history is "a record of human progress, a record of the struggle of the advancement of the human mind, of the human spirit toward some known or unknown object". In other words, we need a knowledge of the past to illuminate the present and light the way ahead. For instance, without knowing something about the Covenanters, Jacobitism and the Act of Union, it is difficult to appreciate the significance of Scottish devolution. By the same measure, a nodding acquaintance with the causes and consequences of the Great Depression gives us a perspective on the current global banking crisis.

Yet there is an odd paradox here. History - and increasingly Scottish history - is a popular subject choice at university level. Radio and television are bursting with history programmes and costume dramas. Historical biographies have never been so popular and every second person seems intent on tracing their family roots. However, in many Scottish secondary schools the study of history is becoming increasingly marginalised.

As The Herald reports today, history teachers are warning that history is being dropped altogether or absorbed into the teaching of social subjects in the first years of secondary education. They fear that as the new Curriculum for Excellence is rolled out, history lessons will disappear altogether. The objective of the new system is to ensure that teachers are not simply "teaching to the test". Liberated from the traditional subject-based curriculum, it is intended to create a more interesting learning environment for pupils and more scope for innovation on the part of teachers. It is also meant to refocus attention on the essential skills, the three Rs.

While these aims are laudable, pupils in Scotland are entitled to expect a certain quality and quantity of history teaching. That must be underpinned by acceptable levels of books and materials and by staff trained and qualified in their subject. That entitlement can only be guaranteed by Scottish Government guidelines.

Naturally, current concern is focused on the teaching of Scottish history, something that has been sadly neglected in the past. As the historian Professor Tom Devine has observed, at a time when issues of Scottish culture and national identity are at the heart of public debate, our youngsters cannot engage in that debate effectively without some knowledge of Scotland's past. With fewer than a third of pupils studying history beyond S2, Scottish history between Bannockburn and the present is a black hole for too many of them.

A "Scottish backdrop" that guarantees every child has a proper grounding in the nation's history, including both its finest and darkest hours, is imperative. Equally, over-emphasis on Scottish history to the exclusion of British, European or world history would encourage narrow parochialism and jingoistic nationalism rather than properly-grounded patriotic pride.

Scotland's pupils are entitled to quality teaching from teachers genuinely fired by their subjects. Without it, fewer will choose it at Higher and university levels. This risks creating a downward spiral, with fewer history teachers emerging to enthuse future generations.