“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
(Winston Churchill, paraphrasing George Santayana)
At GCC, this is the motto for our History subjects. And what better way to celebrate the study of history, than to hear what some of our Senior Students have to say about it:
Why did you choose to study Modern History?
… I believe that it’s very important to understand where we as a society came from. I like trying to understand other peoples’ perspectives and I knew that in this class we would have the opportunity to gain insight into others’ cultures and beliefs and further, how they can be seen in today’s world. – Chloe, Year 11
A lot of people seem to think that history isn’t relevant, but I think it’s so important (and fun) to help us understand the society we live in. – Emily, Year 11
… Modern History was a good way to translate my interest in the way people think into studying the actions people have taken before us. – Josiah, Year 11
… I heard that it was a lot of fun. I also like modern history in general, it’s super interesting. – Jonah, Year 11
… I find the past interesting and I like the idea of being able to look at what the world has done to get us to where we are now. – Ruby, Year 12
The prospect of learning about history and the people who came before me was a riveting opportunity. – Noah, Year 12
What do you enjoy most about studying Modern History?
… I find it interesting to see how even people in the same class sometimes have different perspectives and interpretations of historical events… I have learnt a lot about different cultures and feel that my understanding of the world has broadened. I also like that you gain a lot of skills like research skills that can be applied in other subjects. – Chloe, Year 11
My favourite parts of Modern History are the class discussions we have; you don’t really get the opportunity to talk about big real-world issues with your peers anywhere else and I love getting to hear everyone’s different opinions. – Emily, Year 11
I enjoy the freedom to choose your section of the topic for assessments and the in-class debates and chats. – Josiah, Year 11
I have to say, the atmosphere of the classroom makes it so welcoming and I enjoy that a lot. I also love diving deep into history and philosophical discussions with the class, as it’s always super entertaining. – Jonah, Year 11
I enjoy studying the aspect of history that lets me reflect on our collective mistakes to hopefully help, even in a small way, make sure it doesn’t happen again. – Ruby, Year 12
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Rhiannon Vaoesea, Head of Humanities
… stories we have heard and known,
Psalms 78:3-4
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
