Spanish lesson

It would be good if New Zealanders showed a better understanding than the former Minister of Tertiary Education that it takes more than catering to business preference for engineering and computer technology to operate intelligently in the contemporary world.

Languages, historical knowledge, and interpersonal skills are important. Not providing financing for students who want to learn about the world would be foolish behaviour for a society that desires an intelligent electorate and political leadership.

Knowledge of history could have prevented a recent correspondent, Murray Eggers (Oct 23), from displaying ignorance about Spanish history and asserting that monarchs can’t be democrats.

Surely a New Zealander with the Queen as head of state should understand that monarchs can be democratic?

Eggers could find Wikipedia entries, scholarly articles, and

Guardian reports discussing how King Juan Carlos I helped to steer Spain towards democracy after Franco’s death in 1975 and stopped a coup by Franco supporters in 1981.

The Spanish people wanted to join the European Union, as the King understood, which required a democratic transition.

The Spanish are still dealing with Franco’s legacy but so must other societies confront their own repressive pasts for which history and language supply essential knowledge.

DOLORES JANIEWSKI

Highbury