Sir, I fear the Minister for Education has made an appalling and short sighted decision to remove history as a core subject from the Junior Certificate. The bias against history has come about because it is seen by students as a "dead" subject; this is due, no doubt, to the rigidity of the curriculum and teaching methods. On the other hand, credit must be given to the many teachers who do treat history in a lively and imaginative way.
There is one area where this decision will reflect badly on the nation as a whole: that is the tourist industry. Our visitors have a lively interest in our heritage and they expect people to tell them about its different aspects. What an embarrassment to meet their interested inquiries with a mumbled "I don't know".
We may be brilliant at computers, but do we really want to be known as a culturally impoverished nation? - Yours, etc.,
Dartmouth Square,
Ranelagh,