Niall Ferguson: TV historian calls for GCSE history 'to be made compulsory'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... rgues.html

Personally, I have more interest in history now than I ever did when I was in school, and it wasn't like it was the teacher's fault...

I like watching history programs. I think that history is very important even if we fail to realise it when we are at school. It is so useful after you leave school. Pub quizzes being one benefit. Also so many quiz shows have history questions. So no matter if you do not want to use it you will find it popping up on TV everywhere.

So if your aspirations to appear on TV do not include Jeremy Kyle then you will probably benefit from some knowledge of history.

oh god no

actually wait, im older than GCSE, do it do it do it!!!! that ought to shut the gobby little year 11s up

I started history lessons formally in Year 7. Apart from the Roman Empire, which was interesting, I hated the rest. It bored me to tears. It was only at university and beyond, when I became so interested, I did my own reading. Don't make it compulsory, make it *interesting*.

I have to agree about making it interesting. Though part of that is down to the teaching. A lack of imagination by teachers can make it a very dull subject.

yes but it helps understand the country / world we live in if at least you have some modern history. It was compulsory in my day.

It was compulsory to 14 in my day as well, but I still took an O level in the subject.

I was bored stiff in History, like some of the others, it was only through a personal interest, after I left school, that I became fascinated in history.

I don't think it should be compulsory to exam level, but I think it should be made interesting in the years, where kids all have to study it...

I had an inspirational teacher at school, which fostered my lifelong love of all things historical. I think some sort of history should be compulsory to some level at school. It has to capture the imagination in some way, to bring it to life.

If you don't know where you've come from and what your forebears have done to make the world in which you live, surely you can't develop much of a sense of place in the world or a sense national identity.

Balls to that. I dropped history before GCSE level and I was glad to see the back of it. It was very boring and didn't look at the few bits of history I was interested in. Not a single lesson on WW2, just loads of crap about old kings and queens.
At our school you only had two optional GCSE, the first could be chosen from any subject on offer, the second was limited to Geography, History or Business Studies. Imagine if they forced History on you. That would have been one more subject I hated and only one choice of GCSE.
If this bloke is upset about falling standards, then sort them out for the existing lessons (up to 14 years old).

Correct, of course. However, the problem here is that the GCSEs are too specific. If they did a compulsory "Humanities" GCSE, that would make a lot more sense. Where you've come from, should be accompanied by why you settled there and what your belief system and culture was. Geography, History, RE, politics, sociology........ they're all linked and would be far more interesting taught as a collective subject in my view. Which would alleviate the boredom factor.

I found ancient civilisations interesting, but medieval history quite boring. If history was made compulsory I think it would be good if you had a sub-choice so you could maintain interest.

Also there are quite a few subjects where history has an important part to play, notably the sciences.

Nice idea. Would it be implemented? Not so sure.


Yes like evolution. "And God created everything in seven days, including dinosaurs and man. Who lived together peacefully until they caught a cold, and died"

I'd bring back History and Latin. One so you don't hear stupid comments about WW1 and WW2 anymore, the other to lower the number of "dyslexics" who never had good english classes and don't understand where words come from.