Why Does the Rising Generation Need to Know Correct History?

Families, communities, and nations are stronger when the rising generation are taught proper history. The rising generation should hear stories of their parents’ childhood, youth, and young adulthood. They should know about their grandparents and other ancestors, both the good stories and the bad ones. New residents in any community should learn about the history of that community and know why that community celebrates and commemorates certain people and events. The same is true of every citizen in a nation.

In a recent article in The Daily Signal, Virginia Allen wrote about the need for history and civics to be taught in America’s schools. How to Solve US History and Civics Classroom Crisis (dailysignal.com)

History and civics education in America is languishing. A troubling number of Americans can’t even pass a U.S. citizenship test.

Pioneer Institute’s recent poll findings on the topic are “pretty sobering,” explains Chris Sinacola, the organization’s director of communications and media relations.

The Pioneer Institute, a think tank based in Massachusetts, offers solutions for how schools and educators can ignite a passion for American history and solve the civics crisis facing the country in a new book, “Restoring the City on a Hill: U.S. History & Civics in America’s Schools.”

In Pioneer’s poll, Massachusetts residents were asked questions drawn from the citizenship test.

The questions were about “things that new citizens, or aspiring U.S citizens, need to know and they need to get 60% to pass,” Sinacola says, adding that “the average score among our citizens was 63%.”

“So you can say, ‘Yay, we passed, we can all remain citizens,’” he says, but it is a bit of an “indictment” when some Americans don’t know how long a U.S. senator’s term is or even how many members the Senate has.

“It’s a bit of a warning sign,” Sinacola says.

Sinacola took part in a podcast that discussed America’s social studies crisis and how the situation can be corrected. You can find that podcast here. 

By teaching family history, parents can strengthen their children. By teaching community history, residents will be stronger. By teaching national history and civics, teachers and other instructors can prepare the rising generation to be strong citizens.