New Look Lessons On Germany

[Amadeus]

Could it, should it, would it be that the UK is catching up with the rest of the world?

 

Lessons on Germany 'need change' - BBC News

 

A "more balanced" study of modern Germany is being encouraged in England's secondary schools. The move by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority follows concerns about the "Hitlerisation" of history.

 

It suggests how teachers can cover events as Germany moved from being occupied and divided to a united nation at the end of the Cold War. The QCA hopes to tap into renewed interest in Germany prompted by next summer's football World Cup.

 

'Momentous events'

 

The study unit, aimed at Year 9 pupils (14-year-olds), is called "How has Germany moved from division to unity (1945-2000)?". It considers German history in the context of other European states and moves towards greater European integration...

 

..."The momentous events of 1939 to 1945 will always be taught in schools, and rightly so, but children need to understand that German history did not end with the death of a dictator."

 

The last 60 years had seen great events - the Cold War, the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, reunification, and great achievements that too few English children were taught, he said.

 

"Schools in England need to spend time teaching what happened in Germany after 1945."

 

Bloody damn right do they need to - there's more to us than two world wars and one world cup...

 

Please note: anyone posting "doodah, doodah" as response will be subjected to no less than 48 hours of German folk music via headphones and without toilet breaks - you just don't want that, trust me...

[Cholmondley-Warner]

Bloody damn right do they need to - there's more to us than two world wars and one world cup...

 

Bratwurst, Bitburger and the Rieperbahn for starters!!!!

 

Tschuss.

[Declan]

We didn't do anything about the war in history. It is good that it is now covered. If that upsets the Germans that is too bad.

 

I don't think it should be forgotten no matter how much Amadeus bleats about it. There is no real reason to investigate the history of post War Germany because it is not particularly relevant or interesting (other than as part of the EU). And there is much more important things for kids to learn about from pre-War history.

[Lonan3]

"Schools in England need to spend time teaching what happened in Germany after 1945."[/i]

 

Perhaps they could start with 1966 and all that.

[Rhumsaa]

We shouldn't forget the war but it's also important that we don't bring up a generation of people obsessed with a hatred/dislike of Germany for something that happened 60 years ago.... we don't seem to have the same hatred of Japan despite the horror of their POW camps etc

[Declan]

I don't hate Germans. I just don't think they are important or interesting enough to waste a portion of our kids' education on discussing the trivial goings on in their country post-war. I wouldn't expect German's to study British post-war history either.

[Gladys]

Perhaps post-war Germany deserves a little look as it exemplified the rise and fall of communism globally. The carve up of Germany after the war and the subsequent pulling down of the Berlin wall have to be two of the more significant events of the twentieth century.

 

Lonan, racked my brains, but can't remember what happened in 1966.

[Amadeus]

We didn't do anything about the war in history. It is good that it is now covered. If that upsets the Germans that is too bad.

 

I don't think it should be forgotten no matter how much Amadeus bleats about it. There is no real reason to investigate the history of post War Germany because it is not particularly relevant or interesting (other than as part of the EU). And there is much more important things for kids to learn about from pre-War history.

I don't hate Germans. I just don't think they are important or interesting enough to waste a portion of our kids' education on discussing the trivial goings on in their country post-war. I wouldn't expect German's to study British post-war history either.

You're missing the point.. It's not only about post-war Germany - it's about Britain finally joining the rest of the world in moving on from their "glorious past", and realizing that there are other things of historical importance which should be highlighted, instead of going on about their glorious victory over and over again... "Great Britain" seems to be very good at living in the past, and very selective at what it likes to remember - quite certainly more selective than many other parts of the world, as even the Japanese have owed up to the darker parts of their history by now...

 

I'm not calling on anyone to forget about what happened back then, and I would never do, neither am I (or "the Germans") upset about this being tought in school - you must have misunderstood something there.. These things should, and hopefully will, always be tought in school, and should serve as an ever-lasting warning for generations to come..

 

But there simply is more to us, and the whole of Europe - or the world for that matter, taking that it was "World War II"...

 

Think that it's not worth "wasting" your kids time on post WW II history? Try googling for words such as Wirtschaftswunder, perestroika and reunification, or simply European Union - I somehow think that our post-WWII history is actually quite interesting, especially as it had quite an influence on the world you live in now.

 

To say that "it is not particularly relevant or interesting (other than as part of the EU)" kinda baffles me - we were one of the founding members of the EU in 1952, and if our post-war history would have gone any other way, then there might not be the Europe you see today. We have always been one of the driving forces behind it, and with our economy now picking up again, we will hopefully continue to do so...

 

But how should you know all this - you were obviously never informed about it in school..

 

Lonan, racked my brains, but can't remember what happened in 1966.

A little ball never crossed a line, but a certain referee was blind and awarded the goal anyway - resulting in England winning the football world cup, and going on about it until today (mainly because they never managed to win it again, and quite certainly won't in 2006 - any bets?)

[Lonan3]

I've never been particularly enthused by studying recent history - i.e. that of the last fifty years or so. I can't shake off the feeling that it is too fresh for unbiased study. However, post WWII history is full of major events that future historians will delight in - the creation of an Israeli state, the division of Europe and it's eventual re-unification, the Vietnam War, the struggle for civil rights in many parts of the world (ep USA) - but it may be difficult to take an objective look at them just yet.

Far more important in my opinion, for the historians of the future to look at, is the rise of the 'Pacific Rim States' which are, ultimately, likely to be of far more importance to the world than the ageing centres of civilization in Europe.

[cheesemonster2005]

We didn't do anything about the war in history. It is good that it is now covered. If that upsets the Germans that is too bad.

 

I don't think it should be forgotten no matter how much Amadeus bleats about it. There is no real reason to investigate the history of post War Germany because it is not particularly relevant or interesting (other than as part of the EU). And there is much more important things for kids to learn about from pre-War history.

 

I think it's good that the Wars are covered in history lessons. The problem with Histroy in schools imo and experience is that they focus on only a few events leaving our knowledge of general history a bit messy. I remember studying the vikings about 5 times, WW2 several times. We only did one module on Ireland and US civil rights. Nothing on Cold War.

[AlexMcC]

At GCSE last year we coverecd Germany from 1918-1945, although it was Germany not War. We also Covered America's Role in the World from 1945 to Now as coursework. First Module was Medicine through time, what a bore that was.

 

A level is a bit different though, Nicely Thatcher has us covering Britian from 1895 - 200* something and It's a bore as its mainly politics, however the European side of the Course Covers France and Italy. I think covereing the Cold War would be a great topic, although Since we have to do 50% British History there isn't enough time

[cheesemonster2005]

At GCSE last year we coverecd Germany from 1918-1945, although it was Germany not War. We also Covered America's Role in the World from 1945 to Now as coursework. First Module was Medicine through time, what a bore that was.

 

A level is a bit different though, Nicely Thatcher has us covering Britian from 1895 - 200* something and It's a bore as its mainly politics, however the European side of the Course Covers France and Italy. I think covereing the Cold War would be a great topic, although Since we have to do 50% British History there isn't enough time

 

I did History of Medicine at GCSE too - Jesus that was boring! Also did Britain 1815-1851 (also bollocks), Arab-Israeli conflicts and something else. I love history, especially European, American and modern history - but I hated history at school.