Richard W. Osborne of Contoocook writes on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Concord Historical Society.
Another school year is underway, and the challenges faced by public school educators and students have never been greater. This summer the New Hampshire Council for the Social Studies and the New Hampshire Historical Society published an in-depth look at the need for social studies education, identifying eight key elements in reviving the teaching of social studies from its current state of neglect.
These “Guidelines for Social Studies Education in N.H. Schools” urge public school administrators, teachers and parents to engage in discussion and to adopt the guidelines in whole or in part. The Board of Trustees of the Concord Historical Society joins in hoping the Concord Board of Education will participate in this worthwhile effort.
The current divisiveness that exists in American society would make it easy for educators and parents to throw up their hands and admit defeat at such a task. Yet, this is precisely why the need is so great. As the guidelines state, “When paired with other subjects – whether language arts, math and science or music, art, business and technology – social studies provides the best chance for helping students become fully functioning, independent thinking, self-sufficient adults, which are the foundation of a self-governing republic.”
Further, the guidelines say, “Students should develop their abilities to listen with understanding and to learn from people who are different from themselves. Doing so is the only pathway to creating sustainable, equitable solutions for society’s challenges.
However, the purpose of education in American society has always been to foster a sense of our collective culture, which is more important than ever before in these divisive times. These two considerations must be carefully balanced in a well-constructed social studies program.”
The teaching of social studies has been relegated to a back seat in today’s schools, pushed to the background by an emphasis on English language arts, math and science.
As a society, we cannot allow this to continue at our peril. School administrators, board members, and parents should not be timid about starting the conversation about how we bring social studies teaching back into the curriculum. The Guidelines for Social Studies Education in N.H. Schools is an excellent place to start.