Sir, – On behalf of the Department of History at the University of Limerick. I would like to echo Enrico dal Lago and Deirdre Mac Mathúna ( November 24th; December 1st) in their praise for Minister for Education Joe McHugh’s decision to review the place of history as a core subject within the junior cycle curriculum.
An understanding of where we have come from affects our perception of the present and our ability to make decisions for the future. It is also fundamental to the cultural awareness of young people and to their training in literary expression.
Having spoken to large numbers of transition year students recently for “taster sessions” at the University of Limerick, we can attest to the appetite for, and curiosity about, the past in current secondary school cohorts. – Yours, etc,
ALISTAIR MALCOLM,
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Acting Head
of the Department
of History,
University of Limerick.