The failings of the school system may be the cause of young Britons losing touch with their heritage, it has been suggested.

Dame Fiona Reynolds, the head of the National Trust, has claimed that an alarming proportion of young people leave school without being aware of the evolution of Britain.

And this, she says, is largely due to schools failing to teach history to the necessary standard, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Dame Fiona said: "Knowing and understanding about history gives us such an insight into the challenges of today.

"I often look at politicians and think: just get a grip, read, learn about the past."

She added that more needs to be done to ensure that fundamental subjects like history and geography are made more of a priority.

Without doing so, Dame Fiona suggested that the next generation of school leavers would be oblivious to how modern Britain has developed.

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