Thread: Should History be taught in school?

In some states of Australia, history is compulsory in one year of middle school and in the rest it's an elective. And I think in most primary schools, it's basically up to the school. I myself learnt a bit about Australian explorers in 3 lessons in primary school and that's all. In high school, I chose to study ancient history instead.

I came out of High school knowing nothing but the basics of Australian History ( actually, when Aust was founded, by whom and the importance of the federation of Australia is all I knew) I knew nothing about the culture or the History of the Aboriginal people, I knew nothing about the women's right movement in my own country, hardly anything at all. In fact the only thing about history that we had to know was WW1 and 2

If I use the example of the history of indigenous people -

if students are the future of countries, the future leaders, future communicators, future in decision making for all people. How can they make decision that will help all people if, including indigenous people, when they don't understand or know their culture and history?

How can people make laws for them when they don't know their history? what they have been through? how can we understand and move on if we don't know the past? How can we create tolerance and acceptance of other cultures if we just forget about past treatments and move on? We would have no understanding.

I'm not saying that people should learn about the history of everything, but every child should know a good majority of the history of their own country and indigenous people before they leave school. 12 years is more than enough time to do it in.

How can one expect to understand their people without knowing where they come from?

Originally Posted by shoru

My friends and I are having this debate on hisotry and if it should be taught in school. I think that it does not need to be taught for 2 basic, but logical reason.
1. History is written by the Victors (by Victors I mean the dominating people of that time.)
2. No one knows exactly what happen in the past, it is human nature to exagerate the truth to better ones self. I would be very interested in you opinion.

1Valid point, but you forget there are those who actually have honor and lack ignorance (Yet humanity IS ignorant, but individuals have it on different levels). Saying "No one" knew what happened in the past is saing that even those who experianced the past don't know, when SOMEONE knows. It all depends on someones honestly. I say in the past people were a hell of a lot more honest then we are now (Except for of course speaking out against the church).

Also as stated knowing the past hows to avoid it, yet the ignorant can make it happen again. The Holocaust, to me it looked more like misplaced blame by Hitler, and through giving work, persuasion, and deception he showed himself as a leader. (Yet he only told them to kill the jews, the ones commiting the executions are the REAL murderers). Plus journals of officers in the past, and/or soldiers can help depict, or the writings, not all writings are exagerated, sure Romance of the Three kingdoms is altered a bt on officers death and Zhuge Liangs wisdom, Chronicles has a more truthful aspect, if I'm right 9Still have to read chronicles). Sorry for the ranting on. BUT, that's my two cents. But I say it should be taught.

History SHOULD be taught in schools .. it is one side of building starter thoughts in about what happened .. and about the prospective of two sides of long past battles then i'd say you would always taught what's likely to be your people and stuff then things that happened and somehow not related to us .. plus every knowledge is better than ignorance .. and of all it is funny to know all that stuff ... so i say YES learning history is a must

Even if it isn't 100% accurate--Even if isn't anything accurate at all, I think history is absolutely fascinating and beautiful tales that should be either taught or at least told until they become legends of an ancient time...such as they are to this day. It's also a possible answer to some forms of questions like "why are we at war" or "why is Russia communist" etc etc.

History is important for everyone bcuz we can learn from our past mistakes and try not to repeat them

Originally Posted by dark angel swordsman

Even if it isn't 100% accurate--Even if isn't anything accurate at all, I think history is absolutely fascinating and beautiful tales that should be either taught or at least told until they become legends of an ancient time...such as they are to this day. It's also a possible answer to some forms of questions like "why are we at war" or "why is Russia communist" etc etc.

I totally agree with his being facinating and beautiful, I'm damn well a history nerd. Lol.

Of course history should be tought! And the two things you said just show that the way history should be tought is by making people think about things, discuss, assess all the prove, view it from different viewpoints etc. Not only learning facts by heart.
Of course it's hard for children to learn this, but is it easier to learn maths? Maybe we should give up on teching them their national language- it's too hard. Lets just sing and dance and make them draw and put different shapes together- lets be nice to children.. . Bla bla... How does that sound. You need to put things on little children, they are ins school to learn and to learn how to learn and not to relax.
And I know that history can be made very interesting, I remember how excited I was to learn about Egypt and Grece and Rome... it was great.
In my view history is needed for a person to come closer to be called a knowlegable person, for him/her to be more interesting later on. I know we have many interesting conversations about history in my family only.
And, what divine_punishment said at the start- You can learn from the mistakes made by the people before us. It is very important to have more development...