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Zoe Takala

Student, High School

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Is History an important subject in school? Or should we be focusing on the future?

In a year 3 essay on dinosaurs I once concluded (much to my teachers dismay) on the statement "We should not learn about dinosaurs in school, because they are in the past, and we need to focus on the future." I now see that history is important, but is it important enough to be a main part of classrooms around the world?

Do you think that history should be condensed or eliminated, and replaced by more pressing issues?

Topics: Hsie education history school
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    Jen Maddison

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    Apr 10 2012: Our history is crucial in teaching who we are and what we have accomplished thus far in life. It tells many stories of how we can make different choices that will yield positive results for our future. The same amount of effort that goes into teaching history, should equally go into teaching about our future.
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    zhang ge

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    Apr 10 2012: Definitely history is not that easy.however it is a cognitive process for us to know what had happened on this planet we are living now.History is really important in shaping my worldwide value in my early years of life and it it taught me what is right to do.i am really into it.so i take my stand to take appropriate history lessons.

  • Christopher Lopez

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    Apr 10 2012: History creates value and shapes our life. We make better decisions at knowing what all have done it the past. From bad to good, we live in a better life knowing history. History is a difficult subject to learn with all the names, dates, and material being covered. History is nice to read about since everything deals with it like languages, art, or sports. I do not think we should keep history as a subject because it makes us...think differently. It is what it is. I wish I was more into it. I do focus on other subjects at the library. There should be better ways at being engaged in a history course like more projects! There should be more history courses.

  • Jeff Cable

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    Apr 9 2012: I don't think it is easy to focus on a shifting potential future, one that is changing with each rapid step in modern technological areas... medicine, computing, agriculture and communication; to name just a few.

    My son attends a school which provides field trips to support history tuition. The 13 year old students have just returned from a week in Pompeii because the class were learning about its destruction. For me, there is something worthwhile in turning history into a living essay which demonstrates something of how people had lived at the time under scrutiny.

    Learning about important dates and the events to which they are attached, does little to place students within the social milieu which is being studied. Our social history provides us with a context within which we can exist meaningfully. This is clear from the social mores which we witness in our daily life.

    The simple act of a handshake has several meanings within different cultures. It dates from at least the 5th century BC and Wikipedia is informative: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handshake

    Reading about the handshake is a unidimensional activity. Visiting several cultures and experiencing the differences would be more informative. Knowing that the Greeks practised handshaking in the 5th Century BC is not especially useful information on its own so teaching that fact has little intrinsic value. Debating why the Greeks shook hands is a more profitable area of study and underpins why historical events give us a context in which we can place ourselves.
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    Ehis Odijie 10+

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    Apr 8 2012: I don't know what people mean by history anymore but social science [ the branch of science that studies society and the relationships of individual within a society ] is built almost entirely from past events. In this field, we learn almost exclusively from the past. . It happened before we coined a name [see genocide] learnt from it and took measured to prevent a repeat [see United Nations or Human right]. We are nothing without the past. It might interest one to know that pioneers of the Renaissance were inspired by the discovery and spread of important classical texts from ancient Greece and Rome. . The problems of our time in Development economics, the area I know little about, is lack of historical reading.

    The relevance of history to our survival in the developing world cannot be fully expressed in written terms.
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    Salim Solaiman 50+

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    Apr 8 2012: If one doesn't know the past, how s/he will understand whether her /his efforts are only targeted to re-inventing wheel or not?

  • ram mohan anantha pai

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    Apr 8 2012: Can we be here ( or any where ) without the past? And whatever we think / talk in the present even about future,
    is it not on the foundation that we built in the past? So, knowing the past, even if that past is only a perception of some human being with all the colours of the glasses or the defective eye such a person could have had, still leaves some thing to think about to arrive at our own conclusions to move forward?

    That is why History is important. But problem with us is that we want to "believe" whatever supposed to be "History"
    and then instead of working on it, we want to either bind ourselves to that or completely falsify it. Both extreme positions.

    Cannot understand why human beings have such resistance to " INFORMATION " that could be processed into knowledge which could then be applied in the actions that we perform. Is there any moment in life without some action or other? And to decide up on to act or even not to act, what becomes the basis? Is it not the information gained thru History converted as knowledge?

    Cheers

  • Alex Cordero

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    Apr 8 2012: It seems irresponsible to not study history--history of anything! But to think that we "learn" from history is somewhat of an illusion. I feel that we only learn selective elements in history and probably pay more attention to history when it cost resources such as time, money or material. As we say in my field (information), if you want to learn from history, indicate how expensive the mistake was. Yet sadly, no mention is ever made of how many jobs a mistake cost meaning that welfare is an insufficient learning motivator. I know that this sounds terribly materialistic and almost wrong but I assure you that it's probably not--just difficult to realize. Think of the number of times genocide has happened in our recorded history and despots--even today--continue genocidal practices falsely believing that their regime is justified. Study history because it's the responsible thing to do but also realize that we don't necessarily learn from it.

  • Craig Stevenson

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    Apr 7 2012: Well, the future is often reviewed, a tool of review is through history.

    With that said I believe history should rather be compressed with more thought on how it should be reviewed.

    If one looks at systems:

    Form (the structure)
    Elements (parts, components etc...)
    Characteristics (traits behaviors, etc...)

    Then one has interrelations, behaviors, relationships, impacts forces etc....that work in/on the system. I think that history ought to be taught in such a vein, so as to make it more critical, and as you apply relevant to seeing the present and the future.

    Far too often, things are taught as distinct, when in fact they may be different, but are inherently similar.

    For a good review of the History of Political Order, which impacts and touches on so many domains, and is a useful, and corollary to what I have said, see Fukuyama's, History and Origins of Political Order, toward a masterpiece.

    A few thoughts
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    Jason Pounds

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    Apr 7 2012: I feel that history illustrates our failures, and without history, we do not have the tools to create a successful future.
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    pranoy sundar 20+

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    Apr 7 2012: Yes, history is a very important subject in school. how else would the kids know the value of what they have today.
    That will be really stupid, if we stop teaching history in schools, one or two generations ahead none would know how we reached the present state, where we are coming from. it will be like the whole human race has got amnesia.
    who would value those historic monuments, imagine the statue of liberty beeing treated as a mannequin.
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    María Paula Valderrama

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    Apr 7 2012: I think history is a very important subject in school, because it teaches us were we came from and who we are. That is very important in life, knowing the truth about the origin of life, of your life. Simply without history the future doesn’t exists.
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    Omar Ba

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    Apr 6 2012: Study your HİSTORY from that learn your PRESENT and from that again give shape to your FUTURE
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    Aries Eroles 10+

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    TED Translator
    Apr 6 2012: I like this question. And yet, I find this question a real hard stuff to answer.

    But consider this statement from one of our national hero in the Philippines. "He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination." Ang hindi lilingon sa kanyang pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa kanyang paroroonan.

    History is a very great thing. It could not continue to exist if it has nothing to do with humanity.

    History is important. It includes culture, identity, understanding, and many other things. If we neglect history, it is like you have nothing to tell about your childhood or your high school memories. No, but more than that.

  • Skanda Shridhar

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    Apr 6 2012: If we don't understand the historical context of our birth and the generations before us, we will never completely understand ourselves. And that's not just hyperbole. I believe that the sooner we internalize this information, the less confused we will be.

    Consider for instance, two realities of our existence. Why is it that English is the world's language of business today? Why is it that the US is the reigning super power? To answer the first question you'd have to invoke the the British Empire. To answer the second, you'd need to discuss the World Wars, the Cold War and their aftermath. Two examples of how history very concretely relates to our present reality.

    Agreed, dinosaurs may not directly inform our daily lives today. But we can't eliminate history from schools altogether. Other, less credible sources, would then be used to form children's opinions on how their realities came to be. This could be harmful in many ways, I think.

  • Kalpana Vrielink

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    Apr 6 2012: Interesting thoughts. I have had many students ask me why they have to learn about the past as they see no immediate value in it. Certainly, the past informs our future in terms of lessons learned as well as coming to a deep understanding of who we are and why we do the things we do. As history makers, we need to understand what's underneath the tip of the iceberg to fully understand our humanity ( or lack thereof) and take appropriate action. Understanding the story of a people from multiple perspectives and viewpoints expands our worldview and puts the 'pressing issues' in a larger context.

  • Ricardo Gouveia

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    Apr 6 2012: I find History a particularly interesting topic I often find myself exploring and studying on my own. You raised an interesting argument.

    Despite many people considering, and perhaps absurdly, "that History helps us understand the future", I regard that History particularly helps us understand the present. Until high school, I was under this type of thinking and found it the "perfect" way to teach and study History: to always relate/compare it with the present. At first it was hard relating Greek and Roman stuff with 20xx, but it all made sense in the end. As James mentioned, there should be a balance in History, while always making the students think "How does this affect us, right here, right now?".
    Of course, History is a very long matter, from the Big Bang to the contemporary times. It is interesting to bring History to classrooms, it helps develop kids' way of thinking overall and their way of interpret the present - as well as bringing their little heads some "national culture", and perhaps interest future successful Historians, Archaeologists, Paleontologists.

    Dinosaurs are a very pre-historic particular matter in History, but we can't ignore dinosaurs and pretend they never existed. It is interesting to the study of biology (it helped me) and helps understand the evolution of planet Earth, it is also useful for fiction (and it would be wrong to let future children pair dinosaurs with unexisting creatures like vampires, zombies or werewolves).
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    James Turner 10+

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    Apr 5 2012: History needs to stay in school but it also needs to be balanced with a look to the future. One pundit said that if we do not learn from history we are bound to repeat it. Let us learn from history with the knowledge that history is a soft science not a hard science. " History is made by those who write it" a quote from a character called the Patrician in one of Terry Pratchett's disc world novels. It is a fantasy novel but what is said is very true. Very few have to time to go to original documents and we would see history with our own subjective filters anyway. So we should study history but take the books with a grain of salt and realize that they are written by people who have filters of their own especially textbooks. Let me give an example a few years ago I taught 6th grade history and the text book had a full chapter on the history of the Jewish culture. The latest history text has shrunk that to one or two pages but includes a 10 - 15 page history of the Muslim Culture and religion. Not wrong but why shrink down the history of the Jewish Culture and religion?
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    Farrah Charanek Dassouki

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    Apr 5 2012: The Democratic Values that we enjoy today are rooted in a history of man made laws that evolved due to precedent cases and ongoing amendments in quest for civilty and better quality of life for all. To strike History out of the school curriculum really is to attempt to nullify the importance or cause if you will, of theories or concepts that are the bases and pillars for our modern blue-print.

  • Viola Anderson

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    Apr 5 2012: It's hard enough to ferret out truth from the histories we are taught by those who have taken the trouble to educate and inform themselves. To leave it to pop culture is to turn the world over to the old saw, "Everybody knows that...," which, of course, is nothing but "mob" history with close kinship to "mob" law. Those things children learn in their youth stay with them their whole lives. If those things are what I like to call reality, the child gets a good start; otherwise, not so much. Ever had an argument with anyone about Israel/Palestine? It's a perfect example of how people either pick and choose their "facts"; how they outright lie; and how they base their arguments on things "Everybody knows that...." The first step in resolving any conflict is for the parties to agree on what the facts are. If that cannot be done, there is never any mutually satisfactory solution and "might makes right" becomes the norm. History should equal facts. If it does not and if humanity never can agree that "Joe said this" or "joe did that" even seconds after Joe says or does something that gets recorded accurately, then humanity will never, ever have peace. So, yes, teaching history matters. Not teaching history is an abdication of responsibility. We must try to understand.

  • Maria Cangemi

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    Apr 5 2012: To understand the present, to change the future, we need to know the past.

    We need to know where we came from, where the problems and crisis we are facing are originated, why there are some political, social problems.

    Without studying history, we could not undestand half of the jokes, social rules, and actual issues we have in Europe.

    I do not think the situation is different in US or Australia.

    Moreover, we need to know what the men dared to do in name of money, religion, politic, power.
    To be better persons, to build better future for our childred and grand-children, we need to know that Auswitchz, gulags, apartheid had happened.

    History gives also hopes, because teaches people that is possible to arise against dominations, that is possible to have a revolution for the best, and also the risks of this revolution.

    Cicero used to say: Historia magistra vitae: History is the teacher for the life. And after 2000 years, I still believe he was right.

  • Ramon West JR

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    Apr 4 2012: How can you know where you are going if you don't know where you've come from. History is a fundamental.
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    peter lindsay 30+

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    Apr 3 2012: Let's hope a knowledge of history puts our current situation in perspective. As power gradually transfers from the U.S. and Europe to Asia the financial collapse of what are now the dominant economies is nothing compared to passed transfers of world focus. The dark ages didn't seem to be a lot of fun.

  • Jean-Sébastien Sheaff

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    Apr 3 2012: I read from many of you that said "History is made to learn from our mistakes" I couldn't more agree on that but its not necessarily what is taught in schools, we don't learn mistakes of the past or, if we do, it is very unclear (at my school at least). This school subject should be reformed. I think the main question should be : Do we choose teachers adequately by referring to criteria such as: Shows a capacity to teach and to adapt him/herself to the students or Shows enthusiasm in helping students to learn and by giving them the appropriate tools of learning. I think that what makes a subject good or bad is the teacher in the first place.
    Anyway, yes I think it is important to have history but I'd like to hear from the history of other countries as well rather than just my own's.

  • Patrick Brogan

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    Apr 3 2012: Yes. History is absolutely vital to learning. It helps us decide who we are as a society and where we want the future to take us.

    You could say that you would not liked to be defined by your history, that is fine, learning your history will make that easier.

    But how do we teach the future? I think we focus on the future everyday in school. I think teaching history is focusing on the future. I think each subject is supposed to give us skills that we will use to create the future.

  • Rhona Pavis 50+

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    Apr 3 2012: Perhaps history should be taught along with fiction. It is a distorted view of what really happened for the most part. It turns a particular person's perspective into "fact." Also, it seems that, those who have studied history, tend to repeat the mistakes. Why else do we go from war to war to war to war? Come to think of it, I guess that is simply because women do not have equal power. I do think history deserves less time then other subjects or it should be presented in a way that reveals what it really is......a person's angle on what went down. The victors were not necessarily the heroes, for example. Truth should prevail in all subject matter. Sometimes "history" courses are used for mere propaganda. That's silly. History is interesting.......as stories are interesting. I do think the present and future are far more important to our well-being than the past. In fact dead people get entirely too much respect. I wish the living received the respect that is heaped upon the dead.

  • Adam Bycina

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    Apr 3 2012: The problem with history being taught to students under the age of 20 is that they lack cognitive abilities to fully grasp the narrative, to use the modern parlance. Doesn't history gain significance as we as humans mature? For the same reason that only people who have passed the midpoint of life believe doomsday is imminent (latent fear of their own demise), young people are better served learning contemporary geography and current affairs and then working backward. The problem with our educational system is that we start from the beginning and work forward. All people lose interest in things that seem far removed from themselves. It is only with the perspective of age and experience can we see the bigger picture.
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