scribblerme blog: Only 'Clueless' Irish Teachers need apply

Who’s your favourite teacher? We are all familiar with this question. We are asked it many times throughout our schooldays. It seems pupils’ favourite teachers may matter a lot more in the future. Teachers will now have to convince and influence as to why their students should keep on particular subjects for Junior Cert level. When you are a young teenager less time consuming subjects are far more appealing and this is why it is necessary that certain subjects should be compulsory. Subjects such as history are of high importance. Knowledge of history is usually necessary to engage and argue in any debate to a high standard and reach the best conclusion. History is the connecting link between objectivity and subjectivity. To enable someone to identity between objectivity and subjectivity is just as important as teaching someone how to read or write. To deprive someone of such knowledge in a direct or an indirect way is an atrocity. They will never forgive you for it.Popularity invades the classroom and school playgrounds and it always will. Compulsory subjects show no favouritism. They do not hold any subject in higher regard over the other and this leads to a better-rounded pupil with knowledge of many areas and enables people to think for themselves. History encourages collaboration through groups engaging in debate and also leaves room for scholars to critically engage with the subject in their own time. Bringing popularity into subject choice for such a vulnerable age group is irresponsible. Teenagers are inexperienced and putting responsibility of subject choice on their shoulders at a younger age is a bad idea. They have barely made one transition, that is, the primary to secondary transition when they will have to decide their subjects for second year to pursue for the Junior Certificate.Moving towards specialism in school-related subjects is forcing young people to grow up but not necessarily mature. History points out the flaws of bad decision making, are historians and history teachers about to become the ‘subject’ of their own subject? We are living through a historical event from which we may never recover. Let’s hope unpopular teachers are given a few lessons from some ‘Clueless’ clone. It may be this vital subjects only hope.