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For: Madeleine Wong, 18, German Swiss International School
Instead of focusing on local history, schools should teach more global history that includes political, cultural and economic accounts from all around the world.
While local history is a great starting point, it is too narrow. Every country would naturally hope to foster national pride, loyalty and a strong awareness of its historical triumphs and sufferings.
As a result, each would be inclined to promote a one-sided perspective. Too much emphasis on “local” history could be harmful, as it might give students the false impression that their familiar surroundings represent the entire world.
It may also cause students to accept very simplified or misleading stereotypes about people from other countries.
Teaching more global history would help balance this, as it would help students understand their local history within the context of the wider world. This would help students open their eyes to the interconnectedness of our world – how local events may be influenced by global forces and vice versa.
Students may identify patterns across various civilisations throughout history and realise that even seemingly different cultures may have much in common or much to learn from each other. They can also learn the historical roots of current events.
Sharp awareness of global history fosters students’ ability to empathise. And ideally, it would encourage them to analyse information independently.
A 2019 study from the University of South Carolina looked at the effect of a global education programme, including world history, on students in rural parts of the US state of South Carolina. It found that this type of teaching increases global awareness and encourages intercultural connection.
Emphasis on global history elevated students’ capacity for cross-cultural understanding and multicultural literacy, valuable skills in an increasingly globalised world.
Finally, it is common for Hong Kong students to move abroad to study and work. Lack of exposure to global history may cause them to feel completely alienated in foreign environments, placing them at a disadvantage.
A lack of global history knowledge may even prevent them from seeking opportunities abroad. Teaching students only local history could ultimately discourage them from broadening their horizons.
Against: Nicholas Gao, 17, Chinese International School
Students are influenced by an increasingly interconnected digital landscape, resulting in a push for a shift from local to global history in school curricula.
While this is a principled and commendable view, local history is indispensable and it would be entirely wrong to neglect it in favour of global affairs.
Local history anchors students in their immediate community. It gives young people a sense of belonging and shared heritage.
For instance, through local history, students may gain insight into the immigrant populations that shape local demographics. They may also learn about local agriculture and wildlife, as well as regional industries. All of this helps students understand how they and the people around them came to be.
In a 2017 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, researchers found that local history enhances civic engagement and social trust.
Teaching local history empowers students by allowing them to learn about their local governing institutions. Students need a solid understanding of how their city councils, national parliaments and regional courts operate – and how these institutions were established.
Students will be able to better appreciate the significance of local elections, community advocacy and other social issues. It equips them to become change-makers and thought-leaders.
Learning about local events marks the first step in making history tangible, rather than something abstract and distant. For example, a lesson may include a field trip to a location where significant events took place. It could include hearing anecdotes and eyewitness accounts from the people who lived through history.
These things might seem small, but they help bring history to life, transforming it from an abstract concept or something confined to the page into something students can grasp.
This will make history lively and fun, helping to recapture the attention of students at a time when schoolchildren frequently rank history as one of their least favourite subjects.
Learning about local history also empowers students with the skills needed to understand similar events on a global scale.
Teachers should understand the benefits of teaching youth about where they come from.
