Don't blame the children!

(Baonghean.vn) - In recent days, a clip of an interview with the question "What was the relationship between Quang Trung and Nguyen Hue?" in the "24-Hour News" program, after being broadcast on VTV1, has caused a public uproar...

It was indeed a "storm," it should have been a "superstorm," how could it be just a passing breeze when 37 out of 40 high school students "unconditionally surrendered" to this rather witty but extremely common history question?

Besides shaking their heads in disbelief because it was "too difficult," many children boldly displayed their vivid imaginations by saying things like, "They are brothers," "They are comrades in arms," ​​"They are father and son," and some even went so far as to say, "Quang Trung is actually Nguyen Du!" I wanted to argue, but couldn't because this child was a student from Nguyen Du High School! I was fortunate (I'm not sure if that's the right word) to watch this program. Overwhelming me was a feeling of amazement at the children's antics, sympathy for them, and worry for them.

Images of Quang Trung-Nguyen Hue in some books and newspapers.

I don't believe, and probably can't believe, that these kids have intellectual disabilities. I feel that if a reporter asked them a question about a Korean singer, their answer would almost certainly be flawless, at least never as disastrous as the question about Quang Trung and Nguyen Hue in our country. I also think that, at this age, and being students in the capital city, they certainly can't be unaware of how to surf the web, how to use Google, and they might even be very good at English…

However, it is regrettable, sad, painful, but also necessary that this is a historical issue. This question is merely an act of lifting the fragile veil that is trying to conceal an alarming reality about historical knowledge among young people, the future owners of the country. The story of students refusing to take the History exam was once "reasoned" with: "Not taking the History exam doesn't mean you don't love history." A reassuring explanation? Public opinion at the time had to "swallow their bitterness" and wait for changes. But, day after day, month after month, time passed, and the situation of "60 invigilators for one History exam candidate" remained unchanged in the "two-in-one" exam of 2015.

Victor Hugo once said, "History is the echo of the past in the future and the reflection of the future in the past." It is sad and shocking that this "echo" and "reflection" are perceived so vaguely by the younger generation. This is something to be concerned about. But even more worrying is that this reality, so contrary to optimism, is still treated as normal.

History teachers still go to class with lesson plans designed decades ago. History textbooks still nonchalantly print lessons about Cuba based on data from 13 years ago. The list of top students in History still only compiles statistics on those who memorized events and remember the dates perfectly! Boring, outdated, monotonous, and formulaic are the hallmarks of the History curriculum.

To be honest, when I watched the interview clip with those students, I still felt uneasy about the close-up shots the TV station gave. Perhaps those students, and their teacher too, will inevitably feel embarrassed when they watch the program again. I think the fault doesn't lie entirely with the students. Part of the fault, and a large part of it, lies with us.

When will there be real change? When will students discover historical knowledge through their own interests and enthusiasm? Every year we call for reform, textbooks are reprinted year after year, yet the knowledge and the methods of teaching remain "steadfast and unwavering" as they have been for decades. Don't blame the children, don't laugh at them; if possible, please blame and laugh at the "adults" first.

Nguyen Khac An