Lest your kids think that Elvis is a Swedish girl, the British government is there to make sure they know that the King of Rock and Roll was actually a gypsy, even if it ends up costing them $150,000. In fact, the magazine handed out to classrooms as part of Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month also pegged Charlie Chaplin and Rita Hayworth as being of Gypsy stock.

According to the Department of Children, Schools and Families, the magazine was supposed to increase awareness of the cultural heritage of the gypsies as part of a month-long celebration patterned after the Black History Month we have here in the States. Although ministers were chastised over the magazine, a department spokesman said that materials were developed and selected by the Gypsy, Roma and traveller community. "Although the department endorsed the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month, responsibility for the organisation and material produced has been handed to the community as they are best placed to educate and inform on their cultural heritage."

I don't know if Elvis came from gypsy stock or even if it matters in the grand scheme of things, but it seems to me that while the department may not always be the best choice to compile information, they should always be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of that information before it gets to the kids.