History in the new Junior Certificate

Susie120704

Hi Guys and gals
I just wanted to see how people feel about teaching history to teenagers. Currently it is mandatory for all students in voluntary secondary schools to study history to Junior Cert level but this is changing in the Junior Cert reforms. It will then become an optional subject. In the school I teach in, it is proposed that 66% of our students will take it as an optional subject after first year.
I feel this is appalling as how can a person know where they are going if they do not comprehend the history of their ancestors.
My father did not study history in school and to this day he frequently asks me detailed questions as he feels there is a huge deficit in his education. Dinner times are frequently peppered with history lessons. He would also admit his susceptibility to believe myths bout Irish and local history as he simply does not know the truth.
Recently the History Teachers Association of Ireland had a conference where fears were expressed about the failure to keep history as a core subject.It was attended by eminent experts and frankly I am more scared than ever about what our young people will learn.
I am posting this to make people aware of this situation. Lobbying is the only way to restore history to the core of Junior Certificate.
It may seem I am lobbying for employment reasons but regardless I have other subjects and will be employed. I simply feel that we all need history to give us a sense of the world we live in. In the Decade of Commemorations are we not more aware of the need to promote history?
Included on this post is a link to a recent article written by Diarmuid Ferriter, Professor of Modern History, to mark the HTAI conference, in the Irish Independent.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/diarmaid-ferriter-mr-quinn-please-dont-be-the-one-to-bring-about-the-end-of-history-29149118.html

Thanks for reading and I look forward to your feedback.

LennoxR

It's quite frightening that schoolchildren will from now on know even less about Irish history. As it was the junior cert only provided the basics.

Jawgap

A recent article on the BBC's highlighted how current Japanese perceptions of their neighbours have been shaped by the way history is taught in their schools.

In summary, the author suggests that the reason many Japanese don't understand the attitudes of neighbouring countries is because the history of Japan in the 20th C is largely glossed over in school.

pedroeibar1

My history teacher was a rabid republican with extreme anti-British views. He would not brook any discussion, abhorred any opinion contrary to his own and bullied me to the extent that he would refer to me as ‘The Planter’ (because of my surname). He should never have been allowed near the teaching profession.

I gave up history in secondary school due to him. Long after leaving school the memory of his jibes prompted (provoked?) me to read about the events surrounding the lives of my ancestors, becoming along the way an expert on the history of people with my surname and how (if) we are connected. I’ve built a collection of history books that would put many libraries to shame and probably read more history books than any other category.

I’m actively involved in a local history group and have published several articles on local history. Not bad I suppose for a guy who did not study history at school because he spent most of the time standing in the corridor outside the classroom door.

So there is hope!:)

Susie120704

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

My history teacher was a rabid republican with extreme anti-British views. He would not brook any discussion, abhorred any opinion contrary to his own and bullied me to the extent that he would refer to me as ‘The Planter’ (because of my surname). He should never have been allowed near the teaching profession.

I gave up history in secondary school due to him. Long after leaving school the memory of his jibes prompted (provoked?) me to read about the events surrounding the lives of my ancestors, becoming along the way an expert on the history of people with my surname and how (if) we are connected. I’ve built a collection of history books that would put many libraries to shame and probably read more history books than any other category.

I’m actively involved in a local history group and have published several articles on local history. Not bad I suppose for a guy who did not study history at school because he spent most of the time standing in the corridor outside the classroom door.

So there is hope!:)

I would say there was hope for you because you were a motivated individual but for many it will be too much effort to educate themselves. Failure to give children basic education in history will leave them with no appetite for it I fear.

gobnaitolunacy

Jawgap wrote: »

A recent article on the BBC's highlighted how current Japanese perceptions of their neighbours have been shaped by the way history is taught in their schools.

In summary, the author suggests that the reason many Japanese don't understand the attitudes of neighbouring countries is because the history of Japan in the 20th C is largely glossed over in school.

That would be the teaching of a skewed version of history, rather than no history at all.

Ravelleman

Jawgap wrote: »

A recent article on the BBC's highlighted how current Japanese perceptions of their neighbours have been shaped by the way history is taught in their schools.

In summary, the author suggests that the reason many Japanese don't understand the attitudes of neighbouring countries is because the history of Japan in the 20th C is largely glossed over in school.

You could say this about so many other countries though.

National history curricula do all show certain forms of ´bias´ and contribute to the growth/perpetuation of myths by their very nature.

It´s certainly a shame that history will no longer be compulsory but no curriculum, the Irish included, is perfect. Nor will you find that history is taught for history´s sake.