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Medieval History is "Ornamental"

08:56 / 12.05.03

Charles Clarke regards medieval history as "ornamental" and a waste of public money.

He seems to think that education for its own sake is a bit dodgy and subjects of clear usefulness are the only ones deserving of public funding.

He has since clarified his original statement by saying,

"I don't mind there being some medievalists around for ornamental purposes, but there is no reason for the state to pay for them."

To my mind this is anti-intellectual and anti-education and is not the first sign I have seen of a move to make education consist of little more than vocational training. Not that there is anything wrong with the latter, just that I don't think it should be pursued to the exclusion of the former.

12:19 / 12.05.03

specifically, medieval history would help us greatly in interpreting modern times, namely what happens in the vacuum of power left behind a crashing oligarchy, and how we come to believe some pretty bizarre things.

i think one of the biggest paradoxes of the 21st century will come in the realisation that digital constructs give us the impetous to want to learn more (as the bigger our known universe, the more useful digital mechanics become), not the other way around.

having said that, i agree with the principle that in tough times one must prioritiz(s)e. thing is, i disagree that a lot of the "essentials" are in fact essential, so i would be careful with my recommendations if i was, say, a public servant, elected or not.

12:29 / 12.05.03

Clarke is undoubtedly a boor and a philistine, but from that second articel it seems that the report of him saying that the state shoulnd't fund mediaeval historians was inaccurate, and in fact he said that he disagreed with the mediaeval idea of a university (by which I suspect he actually meant the idea of a nineteenth-century classical 'liberal' education.

specifically, medieval history would help us greatly in interpreting modern times, namely what happens in the vacuum of power left behind a crashing oligarchy, and how we come to believe some pretty bizarre things.

I don't think a branch of learning has to have any contemporary application for it to be worth studying, and for it to be worth supporting. The point is surely not to input information, but to 'teach the young hidea 'ow to shoot', as the Sergeant said in The Sword in the Stone. This is not quite the same thing as being taught skills such as IT, which the current curriculum is designed to instil... though in fact I'm not convinced that the current curriculum system in the UK is any good at any of these things.

18:26 / 12.05.03

He was also reported as saying a few months back that he didn't see any value in Classics. He then quickly claimed the remark was taken "out of context".

21:18 / 12.05.03

Well I could quote Pericles but I won't. So there.

22:15 / 12.05.03

What, 'famous men have the whole earth as their memorial'? Must admit I'm struggling to apply that to Charles Clarke...