Humanities News

How can boys and girls do better in Humanities subjects? I am sure that there are many obvious answers.

One of my favourites is to say ‘Watch the news’.

In fact it occurs to me that there is not very much that is featured in the news which does not in some way overlap with our subjects: History, Sociology, Geography and Business Studies.

In History, the Year 7 will be concentrating on Ancient Rome. Like many other places, I am sure that the Italian government will be welcoming tourists back as soon as possible. But much of what the Romans experienced is still very relevant today: the choice of Republican government or dictatorships, the morality of violent entertainment whether it be on television or in the Colosseum. Of course the Romans were also well aware of the importance of good roads and a reliable and healthy water supply.

Year 8 students will learn about the African Peoples of the Americas. The plight of African Americans has never been too far from the headlines. Over the last twelve months the USA has had to do a lot of soul searching on the issue of racial equality.

The Year 9’s will begin by discussing the causes of the First World War. How rivalry between great powers led to catastrophe. Here is a lesson that will never lose its relevance. The work of the UN and the G7 is dominated by a desire to keep peace and prevent a repetition of global conflicts.

Year 10 and 11 students concentrate on the modern world. From the rise of Hitler to the end of the Cold War. It would be plainly wrong to say that after Hitler’s demise ‘they all lived happily ever after’. Some people are also arguing that the Cold War has never gone away.

So watch and read the news.

I am sure that many of us have been shocked and appalled by the situation of people at Kabul airport which has dominated the international news for three weeks. Their fate is in the hands of the ‘great and the good’. All that the rest of us can do is to be aware and determined to ensure that their plight never becomes ours.