By Stabroek News
Copyright stabroeknews
Dear Editor,
The Education Ministry should pay heed to the complaint by unnamed writer (s) about “The contents on pages 2 and 3 of the new Grade 1 Social Studies textbook” (Sep 18) if indeed the description of the contents is accurate.
I have a different complaint or suggestion – about the curriculum of or in history, the contents taught in every grade. History is a mandatory subject, and it is so in all countries, at all grade levels. The difference is almost every country teaches its own history and civilization in addition to that of other countries or civilizations. But in Guyana, Guyanese history and the civilizations of its varied people, at least six groups, are hardly taught in school. And our history and civilization of the different ethnic groups are hardly featured in regional exams (CXC, CAPE) in history. The same is observed in literature.
In contrast with Guyana, in USA where a million with Guyanese ancestry live, American history is dominant at every grade level or every form in high school. Other countries, like India, China, Japan, UK, Germany, Israel, Morocco, Brazil, Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa, etc., teach their own history in addition to others. In contrast, Guyana and the Caribbean region do not place much emphasis on students meeting a minimum level of knowledge about their own country’s history and knowing the history of their own civilization.
The new Minister of Education and the Ministry should re-examine the history taught in school and the regional exams and suggest amendments.
Vishnu Bisram
