History in junior certificate
After some procedural exchanges, Senator Conway welcomed the review of removing history as a core junior certificate subject and argued that young people need a strong understanding of history to plan for the future.
I saw a hand wave. Almost an hour after we started the Order of Business a new man has come into the frame. Senator Conway, if he is very brief, I will let him in.
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for his indulgence. I was here at the start of the Order of Business and all day yesterday.
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We are talking about today now. The Senator could have been here all last week as well but I am talking about this morning.
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I welcome the decision by the new Minister for Education and Skills to review the removal of history as a core subject at junior certificate level. The House unanimously passed a Private Members' motion that I tabled which called on the Government at that time to examine and reconsider the decision to remove history as a core subject. In 2013 I tabled a similar motion in this House when the idea was first mooted. It is important that every young person in this country understands history because unless we understand the past, we cannot plan properly for the future.
Let us imagine a generation who would not understand the Votáil 100, which we are celebrating this year, and the significance of voting rights 100 years ago. Similarly, let us imagine a future generation not knowing much about the Easter Rising in 1916, the centenary commemorations of same, which we are all engaging in now, the First World War - we celebrated Armistice Day last Sunday week - and the Second World War. It would be a travesty if young Irish people were not in a position to understand the implications of these events or how those significant events shaped the present day country and world. Ireland has always had a great sense of history. As a society and a nation, we have always had a great understanding of history. We, as a nation, have learned from history and I like to think this will define us as a nation going forward. The newly announced review is welcome. I sincerely hope that history will resume being a core subject, and not just at the junior certificate level but throughout the entire education system.