howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#1
apparently our childrens knowledge of history is pretty dire with about half not knowing about nelson at the battle of trafalgar and a similar amount being aware that the romans built hadrians wall.
michael gove is rightly concerned about this and also that fewer pupils are opting for it as a gcse subject.
if the subject is taught in the same way it was when i was at school then i don't blame them, i learned absolutely nothing.
thankfully the television companies have done excellent series over the years that make the subject enjoyable without dumbing down and people like simon sharma have the necessary down to earth way of comunicating the subleties of the politics of the day.
in my view the standard of t.v. history is getting better all the time, maybe the educationalists can learn a lesson?
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#2
History used to be my favourite subject at school, along with maths and English (language not lit.).
The history programs on TV are indeed very good Howard.
Roger
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#3
the history programes about the first world war are quite fasinating,war walks by prof.holmes and the one by the snows father and son are informative as well as educatinol.
for the younger pupils the horrid history seris can be fasanating.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
#4
I loved history at school when we learned in a narrative style with a real time-line.
Then they moved away from that style and created a massive ignorance of our history.
In my day we heard tales of Sir Frances Drake, Nelson, Wellington and the great Empire builders like Cecil Rhodes, it was exciting hearing about how we thrashed the French at Trafalgar and earlier singeing the King of Spain's beard. It got the pulses racing and developed real interest.
Then the educationalist got all politically correct. How dare they teach us of the great heros who were nasty to the French and as for Empire... oh no, instead children you have to think about what it would feel like being a child in Victorian England... That is where it went wrong.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#5
barryw,history is history what ever it is,good ,bad, irrellavent or otherwise.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#6
But it's how it's presented Brian, that's what makes the difference.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#7
exactly it has to be accessible and relevant.
brian refers to the great war, when i was a kid there was a programme called "the world at war" just simply newsreel shots of haunted faces and general mayhem narrated by a great actor.
all done simply and effectively, in later years they moved on to the second conflagration.
clearly barry and roger had better lessons than i had which seemed to concentrate on the beaker people(still don't know who they were0 and irrigation techniques in the ancient civilisation of sumer.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#8
Wasn't interested in history at school.... afterwards my interests have become the eras that weren't taught !!
Been nice knowing you :)
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#9
sounds like your experience of history lessons is not far different from my own.
#10
I will never forget when my youngest came home from school a few years ago and said they had been doing history, and could I guess what "era". I was told The Eighties.......yes, the 1980s.........a small part of my self esteem rolled over and died.
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
#11
It does depend how it is presented when one is at school, I was 'vaguely' interested in history then, but not in kings,queens and dates of battles, more how people lived and what they did.
Then after years of doing family trees and transcribing records I became fascinated by the 'not so distant' past, ie. Victorians, Georgians, and especially reading about their day to day lives in old newspapers, that brings it home much more than lessons at school ever did.
And then belonging a metal detecting group has given another insight into actual artefacts and things our ancestors used, which can be really fascinating.
---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#12
it sometimes seems that we are ashamed of our past.
we talk in glowing terms of the romans, vikings and normans, but then get all sheepish about our own achievements.
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
#13
I loved history particularly the Egyptians, Tudors and my very favourite, the Victorians.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#14
As I recall history was taught as to the coming exam. There was little more to it than exam results. How things have changed?
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#15
actually not tom, much worse now i believe.
kath talks of everyday lives of people, about 5 years ago there was an under advertised event up the western heights where viking re-enactors lived out the day to day lives of our scandinavian visitors.
you could see them milling grain, weaving fabrics and cooking.
one chap taught me how to throw the axe perfectly and fatally in no time, you may think that it is not a useful skill.
when i find out who dumped the bins on me then it may come in handy.
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
#16
As my Mrs went to visit her Great Uncles war grave last month she is really interested in World War 1 and 2 she never really liked History,so I have bought her a DVD on the Battles for Ypres,and a History of World War 1 which is 5 DVD.That should keep her quiet for a while.
I had to smile on I'm a Celebrity the other day,someone asked what year was the Battle of Hastings and they couldnt remember if it was 1600 and something or was it 1800 and something,so much for 1066 and all that!
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#17
let's be honest john you would remember the date, it was your ancestor that handed our country over to the french.
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
#18
Thats not True Howard,we were Kna**ered having just wopped the Scandanavia's up in Yorkshire,then we had to leg it down here and we were puffed out.Then those Cunning Normans who had been laying on the beach for 2 weeks polishing their armour,played dirty.Oh yes the other thing Harold didnt die by having an arrow in the eye,that wouldn't kill you just hurt a lot.The Bayerux tapestry which is an embroidery not a tapestry was done many years later probably done in this Country
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
Guest 660- Registered: 14 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,205
#19
Anyway if anyone handed this Country to the French it was the Prime Minister Ted Heath!
If you knew what I know,we would both be in trouble!
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#20
Yes indeed learning is a life long thing. More breadth and greater depth. We have come a long way we humans.
Yet again there is the push for rote learning;date, kings & queens etc. All, we are told, to give a sense of pride in the journey of the 'British' through history. More mere propaganda and notion of place as with All Things Bright And Beautiful.
The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
He made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/l/allthing.htmIgnorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.