What about our history, Mr PM?

THE EDITOR: In the Daily Express dated July 30, 2019, PM Rowley laments: “We don’t know our history.” Why is this so? When the question is asked, “who removed History from the school’s curriculum?" The response, “it’s incorporated in Social Studies”. We copy everything foreign. How come we did not retain History on the school’s curriculum? The youngest American child knows US history which explains their patriotism.

Young people in TT are often criticised for their lack of pride and patriotism, but how do you want patriots in TT when children are not exposed to the history of their country? Patriotism does not occur in a vacuum. The removal of history from the school’s curriculum was an ad-hoc decision by politicians, with no objections from the TT Unified Teachers Union (TTUTA), teachers or parents. Years later we see the negative impact of such a decision.

So here we are today with Dr Rowley lamenting the youths lack of history. How did we reach here? The Ministry of Education put forward policies and plans with little or no consultations with educators and parents. Consultations in ministries are simply formalities and political show. There is no continuity of policies and plans from one government to another, so time is spent starting over. The result is financial and human resource wastage in a country where “money is no problem”

Dr Rowley the presentation of books was all well and good, but we are still standing in the same place. How can the youths know their history when it is not taught in schools? How could the young man have known about Rohan Kanhai if he was not taught? Today, interested parents are the ones who purchase books and sit and tell stories to their children about our local folk tales, former prime ministers and presidents, sporting heroes, music icons, places of interests, plants and animals, flowers, tourist sites etc.

TT is rich with history, so why are we hiding it under a bushel? Where are the history books? I recall on the last election hustings Dr Rowley promised history will return to school (I stand corrected). Almost five years in and silence from the Minister of Education. Why are our children being deterred from knowing about our rich cultural history that is multifaceted, given the groups of peoples who came to this land…La Trinity? Schools and universities are the places of knowledge after your home.

ROSSANA GLASGOW

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