left, right, left: history in the post-communist era

Recently, an insightful discussion has been taking place in the Czech press over how modern history is (or isn't) taught in Czech schools. Some education experts allege that modern history instruction often extends only as far as World War II; that most teachers don't even bother with lessons devoted to the communist and post-communist era. Perhaps, some education experts believe, it is because that chapter of Czech history is too fresh, too personal, and instructors are not sure how to present it to their students. Yes, textbooks have sections devoted to selected events in the last sixty years of Czech history, but they are often just that - a list of dates and names, which leave a whole host of questions unanswered.

Read more on my Czechs in America blog.