h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Nah, philosophy classes would be a bit of a waste of time. Kids already have science classes to teach them how to judge empirical evidence, analyze information etc - do they really need to be taught to ponder whether we all experience the same existence, whether there is a fundemental truth etc etc

I say no; this is an indulgence, not a fundemental part of education.

In response to the idea of teaching critical thinking.

Perhaps if History were taught a little better, it could provide the platform for children to be taught to analyse arguments, examine evidence, form opinions etc.

Currently, 'history' as it is taught in schools bears little resemblance to what real historians do. It simply makes children learn various historical facts and opinions. History should be a subject that encourages debate and argument. As such, it would instill great life skills e.g. examining documents like newspapers with a critical eye, not always believing everything you read, seeing both sides of an argument, checking your sources.

Even when I did a history GCSE (in, um, 1990) there was a large emphasis placed on evaluation of sources. Even then people were bemoaning the fact that we were no longer teaching kids battles and dates and kings and queens. I can't imagine that things have swung back in the opposite direction again - especially given the continued wailing and gnashing of teeth in the press.

My own criticism with the history syllabus when I did A Level history was that there was simply so much on the course that there wasn't time to deal with it all in enough depth, even given plenty of independent reading and study. It was taken as given that the syllabus wouldn't be completed by exam time and that students should just have a stab at it using what had been covered.

Of course what there was time to do was identify a line to take for each event, learn a few facts to back it up, and move on. Which meant not a lot could actually be learned.

I don't think science in school is taught with a view to educating people about how to be sceptical. That's what we need more of.

I dropped history at school because it clashed with Chemistry.
Even before that point, it had been pretty patchily taught becuse our first teacher got knocked up by one of the sports teachers, and left to have, and then look after her baby.
Our second history teacher also got knocked up, by a different sports teacher, and did the same thing.

What was that saying - "Those who fail to learn from History..."?

I found History *incredibly* dull until GCSE (thanks dad for making me do it) but once GCSE started (and particularly A Level History) it became much my fave subject.

The acedemic disclipine of rational debate as my teach called it. Fantastic stuff. I just think it was a pity so many kids got put off by all that nonsense you do in years 7-8-9 colouring in medieval style posters and doing spot the mistake in a picture about Romans. That was in a top set at a good school....

We have considered teaching 'Critical thinking' AS is our school but it looks deadly boring and rather dry. Difficult to teach in an interesting way as well.

ammcie, <>

That's pretty much the way history is taught here in NZ, at least at senior level, so it's very valuable.

Well the government in the UK doesn't really see history as a worthwhile degree and has been cutting its funding, so there's been a mad rush to justify it as teaching essential skills: research, writing, critical thinking, time organization, giving presentations etc.

This started somewhere in the early 90s I think, and I quite like the results, particularly with the adoption of the seminar method of teaching which is usually a presentation followed by a debate.

Unfortunately, that logic hasn't seemed to penetrate the Irish educators psyche. History is still taught from a textbook that lists assorted 'facts' which you are then expected to regurgitate at exam time.

Seems like Ireland is lagging behind the rest of the world.
No surprises there.

I just arrived here from F32234?thread=366171, a conversation attached to an article which has just been updated, as noted in Edatorial Feedback. (A simple click-chain from an active conversation in my conversations list, not a browsing through the depths of Ask. I lurk in many different ways.)

Had comparitive religion been taught as a subject at my school, I would have been very happy to join in. It would have been quite enjoyable and interesting, and I'm certain I could have contributed well to any class discussions. Ah well. They do it now, in Ireland, up to Junior Cert level. But no further. And it's extremely difficult to find a non-religious primary school. The Educate Together ones look good, but they're rare, and tend to be very small schools, with matching resources and facilities, which isn't good for some kids.

TRiG.