"In painting and music we are inferior to many other nations; but in literature, science, philosophy, and political eloquence, if history be taken as a whole, we can hold our own with any. But all this vast heritage of intellectual glory is kept from our schoolboys like a heresy; and they are left to live and die, in the dull and infantile type of patriotism which they learn from a box of tin soldiers." - GK Chesterton
In school, I hated history. It was boring memorization of dates and names; and never the story of the people involved. It was left as small-talk "hi", instead of interesting "story".
2/3 of my kids start off to school today. They may be too young to delve too deeply into history but when it does occur I hope their teachers are storytellers and not small talkers.
Maybe we should not leave our children's education entirely to the ones we call teachers, but take it upon ourselves to inform them of our own family histories? And if your children enjoy reading maybe take them to the library and guide them to the historical fiction, and non-fiction at their reading level?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is getting into some of that fiction with the "American Girl" and "Dear America" books, and I'm not real comfortable with her reading about war or prejudices yet... but that's part of life that she will need to know about. I can still guide her reading somewhat, especially with what she gets to check out from the library, but I'm just glad she loves to read and will likely learn more that way than through any "History" class.
Frankly, my awareness of American history isn't quite the shining stellar picture of intellectual achievement that Chesterton seems to be painting of his own country. I believe awareness of Kingdom heritage may be more important than National heritage, and pride in that will serve our children much better.