Is History Education A Thing Of The Past?

Each of the core subjects play an important part in a child’s education. Science teaches students how to think critically and analyze how the world around us works. Math teaches students logic and basic computation. English teaches students how to communicate and read. However, new research shows that history is quickly been pushed off in many public schools. A study from Perspectives on History magazine found that 88 percent of elementary school teachers consider teaching history to be a low priority. The sad reason for this is simple: teachers are forced to teach for the benefit of standardized tests, not for the benefit of students. History simply is not a tested Common Core standard in the early grades. Thus, elementary school teachers push history education further and further onto the horizon until young students fall hopelessly behind. This is why the curriculum of the public school system should belong to the parents, who always put the needs of the children first in the educational experience.

Another reason why teachers do not teach history is because they are afraid of offending someone. We live in a time where statues in the likeness of our nation’s heroes are being torn down. Liberals say that their flaws make them unworthy of admiration and respect. Christopher Columbus, President Thomas Jefferson, and General Robert E. Lee are just a few of the many targets of the Left’s outrage.

Teachers should not be afraid to teach history. Our nation’s past is a legacy of dedication and sacrifice that should make every student proud to be an American and thankful for the rights that that title implies. A dedicated teacher should never shy away from sharing the truth about our nation just because it is deemed unpopular or inflammatory. It is true that America has some dark chapters in our history, but that is all the more reason to make sure young people learn from those mistakes. History is a fundamental part of a child’s learning, and it is the responsibility of the parents to make sure that schools are held accountable for if and how they teach this important subject.