Swedenistan : Swedish schools to erase ancient history from history class

No more Plato or Aristotle. No Rome, no more teaching of Swedish Great Power era in Swedish upper grade history classes. This is the new move from the Swedish Board of Education, which wants Swedish pupils to focus on Hitler, World War 2 and the following postmodern era in the late 20^th century instead. 

Recent days, the Swedish debate has focused on the social democratic next move to make the Swedish people less historically aware. Due to lack of lesson time, the Board of Education now suggests that the History subject must be radically changed.

Gender issues, climate and migration are of course included elements in the new suggested revised course plans of social sciences, which includes history.

At the upper grades 7-9, where pupils are 13-15 years old, there will no longer be any history taught dated older than the year 1700. All studying of the democratic cradle in ancient Greece, Rome, or The Swedish Great Power era (1611-1718) when Sweden ruled the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, will be erased from history class.

“Sweden will be embarrassed”

”It’s horrible, bizarre and absurd, Dick Harrison professor of History and author outbursted when the suggestion was presented to the public previously this week.

“As a historian, who knows some about this, I am forced to react. Only the idea that the Ancients are unimportant to understand the present is bizarre and absurd.

Everything that surrounds us is a legacy from the ancient Greeks, he claimed and said that if the suggestion becomes reality, ”Swedes will be embarrassed worldwide”.

“Excuse me, but it’s so f*** sick, I find it hard to believe it. Naturally, I expect the suggestion to be withdrawn, the upset professor said.

More postmodernismò

The revised course plans are the result of lack of history lesson time in Swedish schools, the School Board claims. Pupils in the upper grades must focus more on the 19^th century, with particular focus on the Holocaust, the cold war and the ideas that have formed Sweden during the post war era. This includes raising awareness about gender issues, migration and racism.  There will however, be time enough to cover Western slavery and colonialism during the 18^th century and onwards.

However, the 100 million dead from communism in the 20^th century, are not mentioned as an important subject to study in the revised course plans. Neither are Mao’s and China’s demolition of books during the Culture war.

LINKS

https://www.svd.se/skolverket-stryk-antiken-ur-historieundervisningen

https://www.skolverket.se/download/18.472714ce16b70ab98271364/1569251324908/Historia_GR.pdf

https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/09/swedish-schools-to-erase-ancient-history-from-history-class/