The History Wars

The History Wars...

Victoria's high school curriculum is at risk of some serious axe-action because high school students find the subject of Australian history 'boring'. Yet 'Revolutions' a subject about the bloody global revolutions of the past is extremely popular amongst high school students, and many teachers suggested on the Jon Faine radio program last week, that it had to do with the 'bloodiness'.

For the living memory of these students, they knew only one Prime Minister up until 2007- John Howard- the man who championed the anti-'black armband view' of our History. He said we should be proud of our history. He said we should not apologize to the Stolen Generations for the forcible removable of Aboriginal children which happened under previous governments policy as an act of Australian Parliament. He taught us that waxing our eyebrows will make people love us.

Perhaps avoiding this black armband contributes in some way to the view amongst today's high school student's that our history is boring?

Parents discourage their children from studying history because they want their children to study something that will advantage them vocationally. I argue that long and tired concept that without knowing our history, we cannot proceed with our future.

But what led to our history being thought of as boring? What about our unique feminist history? Germaine Greer is ours! For good and bloody ill! And so is Helen Reddy HEAR ME ROAR!!!

And what about our you bloody legend economy?

The post-GFC political landscape has all but mirrored that of the U.S. despite Australia avoiding recession and being LITERALLY the economy that every other major world power would die for. The voice of the left, particularly that of the the conservative left, has all but disappeared.

Our 'labor party' Government now seeks to re-institute off-shore processing in response to a problem that really is only blown up to make them look like they're doing something. Our workplace relations legislation is better than 'WorkChoices' but seriously, that's not difficult to do. I bet most Australian high school kids don't know the history behind 'labour day'.

Just as I begin to feel discouraged, I think of Australia's response to the AIDS crisis in the early '80s... Bob Hawke was our PM, his daughter was a heroin addict. Australia responded with needle exchanges, educated sex workers and essentially poofters, junkies and whores ended up saving our country from the epidemic of HIV/AIDS still running wild in the US. WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT!

I think of the unique history of Australia's Union Movement, Sovereign Hill, and how that has led to Australia being what it is today. In what other country do you think you are entitled to 4 weeks paid annual leave each year? In what other country to do you think the concept of long service even exists?

What other country can boast taxpayer funded paid-parental leave, a universal public health system, a strong and reasonable union sector which establish world-class wages and conditions for it's workers, decent public transport systems, pensions for uni students, disabled, carers and the old AND STILL KICK MAJOR ECONOMIC BOOTAY on the global scale? WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT!

What about the Rabbit-Proof Fence?

We should be proud of the Apology finally delivered to our Stolen Generations in 2008, and we should be proudly working with our Indigenous people to close the 17 year life expectancy gap- the gap that should SHAME US DEEPLY (yeah here's my black armband, and I wear it proud).

We should be proud of the multi-culturalism that contributes to our contries wealth instead of bowing to those who claim it detracts. We should be ashamed of the way we treat asylum seekers and migrants from non Anglo-European backgrounds. We should be proud of the fact that we eventually embrace them- but seriously, shouldn't we do that from the start?

We should be proud of Australia films!!! We will survive!! It's the vibe of the thing!!!

Australia's high school students probably find Australian history boring, because the 'anti-black armband view' does not allow for a real sense of pride. The white picket fence view is fairly boring indeed.