This really pisses me off. Instead of ignoring all of these atrocities, children need to learn that each and every religion and civilizations is capable of great evils. If they don't learn about it, how can they avoid it in the future? Isn't that why history is taught in school in the first place?
What a horrible disservice it is doing to the students, and the future active memebers who will be running society.
I'm curious what children are they trying not to offend? Are they trying to not defend German children or Jewish children by not teaching the Holocaust? All the Jews I know want people to learn about the Holocaust and would consider it offensive to not be teaching it. For that matter who in England would be offended by teaching about German attrocities? Are they trying to not annoy the EU any more than they are now?
i read it as some teachers feel inadequate to teach the holocaust relative to some students, who may be more well-versed than they in the atrocities or the backdrop of the holocaust. that if they did teach their diluted version, it would be offensive because it didn't reach the full magnitude of the holocaust. on the flipside, other teachers feel afraid to say things that might challenge the holocaust (don't really know what that means) or the children's conception of it after being raised to appreciate a certain depiction of the holocaust. neither seems an appropriate reason to drop the subject altogether; even a shallow teaching of the events would have a great impact in my opinion.
That is how I read it too The Teacher do not seem adequately prepared to teach the subject Rocket River
i think its both. one is teachers don't wnat to offend certain people and the second is some teachers don't feel prepared.
If teachers don't feel prepared isn't it their job to be prepared? Are they not going to teach about 9/11 because it would offend muslims?
I decided to do alittle more research... I think this is a poor way to go about teaching history (or NOT teaching history in these cases). pn the next agenda, the Arabic numeral system shall no longer be taught as some Italians feel offended that their own numerical system has been pushed out. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6517359.stm
This is what happens when we allow PC to rule. Everyone becomes so paranoid about causing someone offense, we can't discuss anything anymore. It will offend some group. Instead, ignorance rules. Racism is allowed to fester - speak no evil, hear no evil? Hardly. Now you can't do anything - you can't criticize or poke fun of anyone or you're a racist. You can't discuss the Halocaust because it will make some people feel uncomfortable. And you end up with a history that doesn't teach anything. Congrats to the PC police. PC is censorship in it's most devious form. It's the ADL and NCAAP gone wild. Instead of trying to prevent racism, they turn anyone who even suggests an idea that goes against thier vision of the world into a hunted witch to be made an example of. The result: no one can talk about anything. And people are more likely to repeat the mistakes of history - because they don't have the chance to be disgusted by what happened.
In indian school systems, the holocaust is barely touched upon. they talk about the world war and all, but focus more on the atrocities in india...
My point is that the topic is drilled into the kids heads from 5th grade onwards every year. It wouldnt hurt to learn about other atrocities that took place in this world.In an American school system I didnt learn about the palestine/israel issue till 8th grade, and that too it was brief. While I had already been well versed on every issue possible regarding the holocaust, from ann franke to the camps. Had I heard anything about the british invasion in india? nope The chechnya wars? nope anything african not related to american slavery? nope. And I highly doubt that the Indians know more about the holocaust than Americans. I have cousins in college in india who have heard of the holocaust but dont really know what it is. On the flip side, i know of a few kids at UH who really dont know who gandhi was.
I agree that people should learn about more subjects in history classes. Therefore dropping subjects is not a good way to do it. I believe it is importent that children can learn from the mistakes and terrible thing people did in the past. We are responsible that our children learn about it. So while i agree that more subjects should be discussed in school, we shouldn't drop subjects because it could offend people.
well you cant incorporate more subjects into the curriculum without dropping stuff we already have. History is only getting longer, and the books thicker. The Holocaust is taught every year in social studies, English and even reading classes. Maybe dropping it from some classes is opening a door for other topics. Ofcourse it shouldnt be because it offends people, but maybe push it off till later years in the school system. Teach it in highschool instead of middle school and teach them about different religions and cultures at that age.
That is what i also meant, dropping it in some years might be a good thing, but not dropping it in all classes. I agree with you completly
This situation is sounding like an excuse for poor teaching and covering it up by claiming not to offend or not to counter what knowledge students might have.
