Progressive Idea of the Week: Making History Education a Four Year requirement

There was an interesting editorial from David Brooks in the New York Times on the need to bring back Western Civilization as a course that explains the positive contributions it has made to global society like the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution. Brooks, in the editorial, is upset that instructors, seem to emphasize the negative aspects of Western Civilization like the persecution and genocidal episodes towards non-western groups. This is part of an attitude that has criticized the College Board for showing a more nuanced and well-rounded interpretation of American History in its Advanced Placement courses.

With respect to Mr. Brooks and those who share his sentiment, it would be educational malpractice to teach Western Civilization or American History as a grand kum bai ya affair when there is also a darker side to the tale.

Children should be taught both the good and darker sides of history and it should include the whole world and not just a Eurocentric perspective. Much has been made of having four years of English, Math, and Science as graduation requirements. We should do the same with history. Requirements for government, economics, and geography would be add-on requirements and not substitutes.  By having students take more historical awareness courses, they will hopefully gain an appreciation of the world around them and become better active citizens. Look at our President. He is taking Asian History Lessons from our main rival in the Pacific: The Chinese. We do not want to stoop so low where the President needs to get information from another power with different interests from ours. That is a threat to the national security interests of our country. Making History Education just as important as the other core subjects would go a long way to correcting that.




https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/opinion/the-crisis-of-western-civ.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fdavid-brooks&action=click&contentCollection=opinion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/03/the-problem-with-history-classes/387823/