Learning history vital to our future

WE are writing to you on behalf of all history students, current and future, who will all suffer the consequences if the speculation about removing history as a compulsory subject on the Junior Certificate course comes to pass.

This suggestion seems to be un-democratic with no history teachers consulted or approached about their opinions concerning this change. It shows little foresight as there are huge repercussions such as the number of students taking history at Leaving Cert and the long-term health of the subject.

The NCCA’s agenda for history seems to be very vague with little information given about what they intend to do. What we do know, however, is that they want to base the Junior Certificate around eight ”key areas” which do not involve history.

The aim of this is to increase literacy among young people, which is to be appreciated. However, history is only second to English in providing the key literacy skills of reading, writing and critical thinking.

This idea can only be called insulting, not just to us, but to our ancestors who founded this state, to our grandparents who lived through it all, to the great men who fought for it all, to the founding fathers who started it all and most of all to every Irishman, woman and child who died for us all. By removing history from the Junior Cert course we are not only insulting them, but simply forgetting them.

The study of history is not only necessary for knowing about the past, but necessary for going forward into the future. As the common phrase goes, history repeats itself, and this proves true in all walks of life.

From international conflict, to the economy and the current recessionary times, the study of history helps us to improve on the mistakes and decisions of the past. In times of economic downturn, it is said that education is the only way forward. Why so are we weakening our education and our holistic knowledge by doing this? It is simply undermining our national identity and our sense of pride in the past.

The question left by this decision is: how can we look to the future when we don’t know the past?

Ronan McCarthy and Alex Crean

Fifth-year students

Presentation Brothers College

The Mardyke

Cork