A big mistake to drop history from the junior certificate curriculum

Dear Editor, The Decision by the Government to drop history as a core subject for junior certificate students from this September is both disappointing and foolhardy.

With the growth of globalization and the influence of multinational companies, there has been a phenomenal emphasis places on the study of S.T.E.M subjects in education.

Students are now encouraged to forsake the study of humanities and focus on science and technology as they are told that is where the highest chance of future employment lies.

While the importance of the study of science and technology is invaluable to the growth of our economy, what is equally important is the ability to perform analytical tasks, have competent literary skills and to be able to engage with the political environment in which they are placed in.

These Skills are invaluable to any employer. By dropping the study history as a requirement up to the junior certificate we will now have a situation where students will lack the ability to analyse sources and will miss out on a rounded civic education.

I write as someone who studied history through to the leaving certificate and now in university.

The study of arts and humanities have come under a great deal of criticism of late and equally the students of those subjects regularly come under the same level of criticism.

It is clear that education is becoming purely focused on monetary value and the addition of computer science as a subject for the junior certificate but the axing of History is an affirmation of this.

Young people are becoming more and more disengaged with the political climate in our country and many of my generation would find it difficult to name their local T.D’s.

By studying History, we can prepare our students to engage with the socio-political issues of our time as well as teach them critical analytical skills.

In the era of mis-information and ‘fake news’ the study of history can prepare our future generation to be able to distinguish between what is fact and what is fabrication.

This decision will leave our students gravely unequipped to deal with these issues.

The President gave a steadfast critique of the Government’s decision when he stated: “to be without historical training, the careful and necessary capability to filter and critically interpret a variety of sources, is to leave citizens desperately ill-equipped to confront a world in which information is increasingly disseminated without historical perspective or even regard for the truth.”

Shame on the government for choosing to cast history into the dustbin of our education system. Jude Perry, Young Fine Gael.

Carrownanty Ballymote Sligo