Resolved: History is an Important Subject in School

In JSA (Junior Statesmen of America), which is basically Debate Team, the topic was Resolved: History is an important subject in school. This topic was so relatable for me. I absolutely hate my history class. I enjoy learning history, however the fact that my teacher treats the class like first graders but gives us the work load of college students is So. Darn. Aggravating! I had a lot to say about this topic, however there were too many people who also wished to voice their opinions and unfortunately, I was not able to speak my opinion.

I vote in favor of history, however I decided to write both a Pro and Con statement. If you guys are interested, feel free to voice your opinions on the comments section! I’m curious what others have to say!

Pro:

                History, just like any other subject we learn, is essential to our curriculum. History overlaps with every subject you learn in school. The world’s greatest writers such as Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, and Leo Tolstoy would still be unknown if it were not for history. We owe our knowledge of great mathematicians such as Euler and Pythagoras, scientists like Mendel, and philosophers such as Plato and Socrates history. Learning history opens your mind and increases your cultural intelligence. In ninth grade, you study many religions, which is beneficial for you. World history increases your knowledge of our world and exposes you to many new and wonderful cultures. American history enhances patriotism, and learning about our history only contributes to our future. By studying the Great Depression, we may solve the recession we are currently in. We learn from history, which prevents us from making the same mistakes in the future. School prepares us for life; our future, History will be increasingly important as us, the next generation, replaces the old. In the future, we must draw upon the past to guide us into the future.

Con:

                History is not important. Think of the other subjects we learn, such as math, science, and English. Most jobs require skills in those subjects, but not history. A Historian is the only career that requires a person to be educated in history. If history is not often used, then why is it considered important? Also, people say that we must learn History so History will not repeat itself. However, we never learn from History. Think of the Holocaust, it was a tragic genocide, however that terrible experience did not stop genocides from occurring. Just recently, there was a genocide in Syria. Also, how can we learn history without good material? Most history documents are biased. History is usually recorded by, for example, a person whose king has recently conquered a new land. The people conquered don’t record the history, so we only see one side while reading history documents. There is so much bias that learning History is basically pointless. Think about this: what if we have been learning history wrong all along?

As a side note, I’d like to say that JSA is a great club and I recommend it. Out of all the clubs I do, JSA is absolutely me favorite. Obviously, it is great to speak, however it is not required. Many of the upperclassmen in JSA are amazing debaters and I enjoy listening to them! Who knows, maybe you will like JSA too! I definitely recommend you join your school’s JSA or Debate Team!