Importance of The Humanities in Primary School

The humanities study aspects of human society, culture, and experience. The humanities in the primary school curriculum include history, geography, religious education, and foreign languages. When studying the humanities there is less likely to be an exact answer to a question and therefore learners are more likely to accept ambiguities and different interpretations from different beliefs, texts, and practices, which differ from more analytical subjects such as maths and science. This will therefore teach children to broaden their thinking and critical reading skills as well as help them make intellectual, moral, and spiritual decisions in their discussions and writings. It is said that ‘without the lens of history, geographical awareness and appreciation for religious beliefs, it is impossible to offer informed responses to such current affairs as: climate change, human rights violations, Brexit or Islamophobia’. This, therefore, shows the importance of the humanities in society and why it should be taught to children within the primary curriculum. The primary curriculum is covered by the national curriculum which is split into key stages one and two. Key stage one covers ages five to seven whereas key stage two covers ages seven to eleven. Both these key stages cover the ages of primary school children. ‘The national curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge they need to be educated citizens. It introduces pupils to the best that has been thought and said and helps engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement’.

History as a subject looks at past events and the change and development of society over time. According to the national curriculum, the purpose of the study of history aims to help pupils to gain knowledge about Britain's and the wider world's past. It also argues that studying history in primary school will help equip children to ask prospective questions, think critically, weigh the evidence, and develop arguments. It also enables learners to see the diversities of different societies as well as recognize the changes in their own society over time. By recognizing changes in their own society children are more likely to find a personal connection within the work. This allows learners to connect with their own personal identities while also learning about the identity of others in different societies. The strategies that teachers use can enable children to begin to appreciate different points of view and attitudes of others, therefore, playing a major role in children's cognitive, social and emotional development. This could therefore show evidence for why history is a valued part of the primary curriculum. According to the national curriculum children in key stage, one should develop an awareness of the past by using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time as well as being able to understand a chronological framework and using a wide variety of vocabulary of everyday historical terms. As well as this they should ask and answer questions using sources to show they know and understand key features of events. Therefore, the national curriculum of history helps develop learners thinking skills through the use of experimental and discovery learning. According to Bruner discovery learning is a beneficial learning tool where children make their own links between knowledge without much input from the teacher. One way experimental and discovery learning can be seen in history is through the use of sources. Children in both key stages one and two are expected to use sources to understand knowledge from the past. Decoding historical sources such as pictures, book illustrations, paintings, and photographs can often provide a good starting point for making inferences about historical sources. Children first learn to talk about different aspects of the source such as the ideas, moods, and feelings they represent, and are able to infer from facial expressions and body language what people may be thinking, feeling, or saying. Children in key stage two should develop upon the national curriculum aims from key stage one. Learners should continue to develop chronological understanding and establish clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They should also be able to construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organization of relevant historical information as well as using a range of sources. As well as this children in both key stages should be taught about historical events and people within their own locality. This allows for children to learn more about their area which could be seen as more interesting and engaging and also allows for children to develop an identity within where they live. As well as this history can respond to diverse learning needs. This is because it can include cross-curricular teachings such as drama, music, and videos. This can link to a variety of cultural and social backgrounds, including different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. It can also be accessible to those with special educational needs and disabilities. This, therefore, shows the importance of history and why it should be given a place in the primary curriculum.

Geography is defined as the study of places as well as the relationships between people and their environment. The national curriculum for geography aims to inspire pupils about the world and its people. As well as this, learners should be taught about diverse places, people, resources, and natural and human environments. One reason why geography is so valuable to the primary curriculum is that it allows for learning beyond the classroom. Learning happens in many ways, not just from the classroom, for example in the playground, the walk to and from school, interactions with parents, carers, and siblings, leisure pursuits, and pastimes. This allows for experimental and discovery learning, popularised by Bruner. Therefore, children are able to learn by their own discoveries and exploration, for example exploring landscapes. As well as this geography as a subject also teaches children about equality and other controversial issues. For example, social justice in geography teaches children that where they live and other parts of the world are not necessarily equal or fair, and talking about this can allow for learners to challenge and confront stereotypes and bias. The difference in services and facilities may also make them understand concepts such as poverty and discrimination. As well as this learners will also look at environmental impacts. This is important as primary children are the future and will therefore need to understand and consider how they might respond to environmental hazards and issues that will directly impact upon their lives. Some examples include flooding, wildfires, and urban changes. This, therefore, shows how important geography as a subject is in the primary school curriculum and why teaching the subject could have a massive impact on future generations. It allows for young children to have a wider perspective on the world and can allow them to think about changes they can make to make the world a better place. It also teaches them to have an open mind and consider how people around the world could be less fortunate than them. Also, geography is able to include cross-curricular learning, for example, it could link with science, history, or art. Through the use of the school grounds, children are able to explore the environment closest to them which has a big impact on their lives. For example, a teacher could take children into the school grounds and could teach a lesson about creating artwork with nature or could explain the history of the grounds and the school. Teaching geography to learners could also have an impact on the school as a whole. This could make the school make changes in order to be more economically friendly, for example, teach learners about the importance and impact of recycling. Therefore the impact of teaching geography in primary schools shows it can have both a local and international change and therefore shows its importance as a subject and why it deserves its place in the primary curriculum.

Another humanities subject in the primary curriculum is languages. The languages consist of any language that is currently in use or an ancient foreign language, with some of the most common to learn is Spanish, French, and German within the primary curriculum. The national curriculum for languages was introduced as compulsory at key stage two and suggests that high-quality language education should foster pupils' curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. It also suggests that learners should be able to express their ideas and thoughts in another language as well as be able to understand and respond to speakers, including in speech and writing. As well as this it suggests that studying languages will equip learners to study and work in other countries. A benefit of learning a language, especially at a primary school level is intercultural understanding. It is said that learning a language is beneficial as it allows for learners to step into another culture and that it's only languages that enable us to do this. Language learning should promote intercultural understanding by arousing curiosity about other cultures. As well as this there has been a growth of diversity within primary schools with more than 200 languages being spoken as a first language. This is because of an increase of global travel and migration meaning that UK primary schools are the most multicultural they have ever been. This, therefore, means that diversity and multicultural understanding have become ever more important concepts for primary school teachers. As well as introducing intracultural understanding into primary schools learning a language can also be beneficial as it is can be accessible to a multitude of learners. For example, SEN learners are more likely to have poor memory skills, along with weak sound discrimination. Exposing these learners to more sounds in a new language can help with this. This can be done through the use of songs and asking for a physical response when they hear a particular sound. As well as this SEN children often thrive in the cross-curricular side of language learning, for example when learning about a culture's traditional dance, or eating food from that country. These more cross-curricular approaches were found to maintain the interest and focus of SEN learners making it a worthwhile subject for these children. As well as this the languages promote collaborative tasks and interdependence. This is based on the idea that children are more likely to work better in a group than on their own. This is because of their ability to share ideas and learn from one another. Collaborative tasks also are more likely to decrease anxiety as they are talking to a smaller group instead of the whole class. As well as this collaborative learning encourages more language practicing to occur among peers. All of this shows just how beneficial language learning is and why it is an important part of not only the humanities but also the primary curriculum.

The final humanities subject in the primary curriculum is religious education. This subject educates about the different religions of the world and their beliefs. Although there is no national curriculum to follow for religious studies, there are non-statutory national frameworks that teachers are able to follow to help support with the teaching of this subject with local authorities often determining their own locally agreed syllabus through the standing advisory committee on RE (SACRE). For example, one produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has four purposes that mirror the national curriculum including establishing entitlement, establishing standards, promoting continuity and coherence as well as promoting public understanding. Religious education could be seen as an important subject as it promotes positive attitudes in developing their own beliefs while also valuing the beliefs of others. Through this subject, learners will learn self-awareness, respect for all, open-mindedness as well as appreciation and wonder. When religious education was taught in the 1870s it was a political move with the Christian church bringing in compulsory education. As well as this Britain would have little dispute about being labeled a Christian country. However, now with modern Britain having much higher levels of diversity, it is argued that religious education is an important subject in the primary curriculum in terms of inclusion as it helps develop regional, religious, and ethnic identities needed for mutual respect and understanding in society. It also explores the rights, responsibilities, and duties of citizens while enabling children to justify and debate personal opinions. According to the Leeds Syllabus for Religious Education teaching for children in the key stage, one should focus on Christianity and Islam as well as understanding non-religious approaches to life. As well as this they should use specific vocabulary while also raising questions about beliefs. Whereas children in key stage two should extend on what has been taught in the key stage by learning about Judaism and Sikhism as well as Christianity and Islam. They should also be able to engage in more challenging discussions and respond with their own ideas and relevant information. Religious education could be seen to have an important part in the curriculum as this syllabus demonstrates how personal beliefs are able to be developed through the use of debates and discussion while also teaching children about some of the major religions, therefore helping learners understand different religions and respect others with different beliefs to them. Religious education is also able to be accessible to SEN children through the use of first-hand experiences, such as visiting places of worship as well as giving learners a more personal experience, for example through dance.