History Teachers

This raises the question: If historians can’t remember these things, why do we require 18- year-olds to know them? These tests stress small bits of information that are impossible to remember in the long term. Historians know something deeper. They know how to evaluate historical documents, how to look at conflicting sources and come to a reasoned judgment—in other words, how to be a citizen in a cacophonous democracy. That is the value-added of studying history and that is what we give short shrift to in our high school history classes.

The knowledge-based economy doesn’t require students to be walking encyclopedias who can recall a piece of information. It requires the ability to sort through conflicting information and come to a reasoned conclusion. We need tests that help us do that.

“But there are conservation success stories. Mountain gorilla populations are increasing and we now have around 800 in the wild. Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroos also seem to be stabilising."

In Madagascar there are only around 100 blue-eyed black lemur left

In March a rhino was poached from a French zoo, the first time such an incident has ever been recorded, and demonstrating the demand for rhino horn