Cristopher Colombia in primary school curriculum

[Donotfitin]

So the school just sent the curriculum
for my DS year (Y1). They called him a “significant explorer”. I immediately queried it, because as a Latin American he’s seen as a very divisive figure who brought rape, disease, and genocide. In my country (Mexico) we’ve completely removed that date from
our calendar, and the statues, etc… have now been removed.

I‘m not against it, but I just want a nuanced approach. So AIBU?

These young people all say that Israel did nothing at all wrong. Ever. When many sources disprove that.

History is written by the victors. I am sure that the hiatory classes in the UK dont focus on man made famines caused by colonists in Ireland and India.

I can't comment on the current curriculum but my history GCSE in the late 80s, South England, very thoroughly covered Cromwell's atrocities, in a module called "The Irish Question". I hope it is still taught.

It’s every October.

I don't know. I live in the UK and if I ever mention what happened in Ireland, the people here do not know about it.

The English education system definitely chose to whitewash it.

Exactly. Some countries - if they do something bad in the past - they just want people to not know about it.

Germany seems to be an exception. They really educate Germany's youth on Germany's past.

This is an interesting example of contested history. As a British person I would suggest that the UK has never invaded Ireland (the various waves of invasion, though very real, were before the creation of the UK, and I’m not sure you can identify a French-speaking Norman dynasty who had recently conquered England as being English anyway, or indeed a dictator who seized power in a civil war). But I’m sure we’ll disagree, and that’s ok, because it illustrates the point of this thread: almost anything in history that’s important is contested, and there’s no such thing as “unbiased” or “neutral” history.

The Irish question sounds a bit too similiar to the Jewish Question.

The jewish Question - was how Hitler discissed exterminating Europe's Jews.

That’s not an equivalent of the way Columbus is taught at ks1. Have you actually looked at the curriculum content?

More moaners! Stop whinging about things which happened 400+ years ago.

Given the achievements of European people compared to those native to the Americas up to that point, they would be right, no?

Are you for real?

You'd be wrong then. Y9 history at my school is almost entirely that.

Right lets look specifically at last century. The UK was definitely called the UK then.

The UK had total control over Ireland. The UK abused Irish people. Most famously , the UK stole land off the Irish land owners and then rented this land back to these people for huge rent that people could not afford.

People in Ireland were desperately poor. The UK also hit and beat anyone that spoke the Irish language. This wiped the Irish language nearly entirely out of the country and is why they speak English there now.

It wss terrible conditions. Ireland wanted independence from the UK. The UK wouldnt give it. The UK sent over lots of black and tan soldiers to Ireland. These soldiers were notoriously brutal. My mother said that her Irish father told her about them. He said that these soldiers would drive around and just pick young girls to rape.

Ireland then had to fight for independence in a terrible fight where lots of people were killed. The leaders of the rise for independence -were all killed by the UK. After some time, The UK then eventually agreed to give back part of Ireland but not all. The UK kept Northern Ireland.This caused the Irish civil war and the Northern ireland troubles. The UK has definitely caused a huge amount of problems in Ireland.

Ive seen other people on here before say that the Ireland module is optional.

The Irish Question is quite a specific thing in British history, any connection to Hitler would only be if that was a particular phrasing that was commonly used in politics at that time.

If we are going to be accurate the Normans were responsible for invading Ireland, which started the occupation. The monarch etc were Normans not Anglo Saxon, most Anglo Saxons were not thrilled with losing their lands etc. And subsequent kings often thought of themselves as being French not English.
Just for information, many people of my age were taught Irish history in British schools as it was part of the United Kingdom or a colony for so long.

See my most recent post. To avoid any ambiguity. I clarified that I'm specifically talking about last century. When the UK was abusing Ireland, stealing land and plunging people into poverty.

Ireland wanted independence, the UK wouldnt give them it. Uk sent the uk soldiers who killed and raped many people. Ireland had to fight for independence during which many people were killed.

Uk refused to give all of ireland back, the Uk wanted to keep northern ireland.
This refusing to give northern ireland back - resulted in a lot more deaths, caused the irish civil war, and also the long troubles in Northern Ireland.

That’s low

Yes we have said many times who started it.

What are your thoughts on the UK refusing to give independence to Ireland last century - causing many deaths. Then also refusing to give Northern Ireland back, causing many many more deaths.

This is all quite recent

History is full of stories of ordinary people suffering through invasion and war-not just separate societies who were colonised. In Europe, people were enslaved through serfdom, they were deliberately starved and driven out of their homes for political reasons. They were slaughtered by the thousand to teach others a lesson. Yet we treat these great battles and deeds as something heroic-look at how Henry V is lauded. At least with colonialism, the effects on ordinary people at the time are discussed in detail. It has been for years-my kids were taught that Columbus was a bad guy by modern standards. Not so much the people living in home countries who suffered at the hands of their ‘betters’. But also, people on those times lived by totally different values and mores than we do today.

As my family were from Cork, on my mother's side, that might give you a clue.

Good luck with that 🤣🤣

Absolutely ask school about content and ask them to ensure a balanced account. YANBU .

I can see why a lot of Irish people are still angry about it. The UK government should give an apolpgy. It would really help people to heal and move forward

The Queen muttered something about our troubled history when she came to Ireland, but there was no apology.

Im tired of all the hatred between Ireland and England, but I can see how Irish people feel they cant heal and move on until they get some recognition and apology