Dainfern College

"To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to be ever a child. For what is the value of human life unless it is interwoven with past events by the records of history?" Marcus Cicero (106 -- 43 BC).

History is often viewed as a redundant subject, of very little practical use in the real world: this is a fallacy. There are obvious reasons for studying History: to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to learn from our predecessors; to emulate the philosophies and habits of the great men of History such as Gandhi and Mandela; and to develop a sympathy for the human condition, making us more tolerant of each other as individuals and less tolerant of the abuse of power, greed and injustice.

History is about people, relationships and society, so History is the ultimate humanity, providing us with perspective and understanding of ourselves, and imbuing us with a sense of place in relationship to the past: the study of humanity will only cease to have relevance when humanity itself has ceased to be. We survive in a society that is changing at a bewildering pace, a society that is constantly reinventing itself and a society in a state of perpetual transition. In this world of confusion we need to develop understanding and we need to be adaptable: we need to think critically and sensibly, skills which are engendered through the study of History. It is here, in inculcating thinking skills, that the true value of studying History lies, as History is a process, not a static position; it is a living, vibrant discipline which we are living through in our daily lives; today is tomorrow's History. The very nature of the subject leads to debate and conflicting opinion. By studying History we are learning to reason from evidence, rather than blindly and dumbly accepting the views of others. History involves a critical examination of sources of information. History requires personal involvement and interaction with people of the past, on the basis of critical examination of evidence - there can be no acceptance of prejudiced judgements - and it is on this basis that people should live their own lives in society. The invaluable skills which one acquires through the study of History include:

1. An ability to think critically.
2. An ability to argue logically.
3. An ability to weigh evidence and make intelligent judgements.
4. An ability to think in terms of abstracts and metaphor; to extrapolate information.
5. An ability to identify cause and consequence, thereby gaining a sense of responsibility for actions.
6. An ability to express thought clearly, concisely and accurately.
7. An ability to research thoroughly.
8. An ability to empathise with others, and understand divergent viewpoints.
9. An ability to remember details.
10. An ability to respect and understand the psychology of other cultures and people in the context of their past.

These are skills which are acquired almost exclusively in the study of History and which will be of immediate benefit, albeit indirectly, in a wide variety of professions, including: Law, Marketing, Management, Sales, Human Resources, Public Relations, Journalism, Personnel - and Teaching (some 80% of employment opportunities). In fact any profession requiring interpersonal relations, critical thinking and logic, and the ability to make considered decisions and sound judgements, will benefit from the skills acquired in the study of History.