...interviews including one with Premier Radio, about Papa Benedict's retirement and the forthcoming Conclave and so on.
You can hear Auntie discussing various topics from time to time on Heart Gives Unto Heart radio too...
Hurried from the HGUH recording, through a bitterly cold South London to Precious Blood Church, for evening Mass and the first of a series of talks in the parish's Lent Course. This was excellent, as the speaker took us through the bond between the Passover and the great events of Holy Week and Easter. I had never before pondered the story of Joseph in the Old Testament as having a message about Resurrection. Absolutely fascinating. The speaker was Geoffrey Kirk, and the teaching we recieved was truly superb, and all offered in an easy, unpretentious style. Afterwards, a hot supper as we gathered around the tables in the parish room, a good crowd and the room alive with talk as plates were passed and coffee was brewed...
Yesterday, I spent the day with T! magazine based in Chelsea. They run courses in journalism.media/related studies for young people at half-term, and an enthusiastic group was gathered there. I have discovered that one of the major problems faced by young people is that they have almost no knowledge whatever of British or world history. Many are keenly aware of this and are angry about it. They have been taught about the Second World War again and again and again and again, but that's all. They have never tackled the 19th century. Had never heard of Napoleon, the Battle of Waterloo, 1776 and the American colonies, Gladstone, Disraeli, Nelson,and couldn't even name the monarch who ruled Britain from the 1830s to the end of the century. So we tackled a session on all this and they absolutely loved it. They got excited as I explained that historical events have consequences. Why is English the language of Australia? Of the West Indies? Why was a great monument put up in London following a sea battle off the coast near Traf al g'har? They relished being marched through events and consequences: rivalry between Britainm and France, battles, control of the seas, establishment of empires, consequences for today. They loved the details. What do we call the things we put on our feet when we walk through mud and puddles? Why are they called Wellies? What connection does this have with the Battle of Waterloo? What consequences did that battle have?
And the big question they put to me as we finished and they were begging me to stay on and do more:"WHY AREN'T WE TAUGHT HISTORY LIKE THIS AT SCHOOL?"
2 comments:
We did "medicine through time". In the middle of the course, the history teacher, to his credit, apologised and said that the theory of the four humours was more important than he'd been suggesting.
I now know a bit about the history and philosophy of science, and the four humours / four element theory was the centrepiece of scientific thinking, until the modern era. This is half the problem. The courses are so eccentric that teachers don't have the skills to teach them properly.
It's rather depressing to see a programme like 'Egg-heads' the quiz show on BB2. The Egg Heads themselves know their history, but their challengers - who are often well educated professional people do not. (They're a bit dodgy on geography too). The challengers are usually very good on pop groups, boy bands etc, which mean nothing to me.
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