Immigration and Citizenship Minister Jason Kenny says Canadians need to be more knowledgeable about our history and values or the country is at risk.
OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney warned a conference of historians and educators that unless we do a better job of teaching history and common values, we risk social unrest in the future.
Kenney said there is a need for both native-born Canadians and newcomers to have a solid understanding of Canada’s past including our political system, and how Canada’s culture of rights and responsibilities developed.
The new study guide
"Discover Canada" the government put out last year was a good start.
“That’s why the government says that 'Discover Canada' and our efforts to promote civic literacy have to be focused on all Canadians and not just newcomers,” Kenney said.
Discover Canada is the government’s study guide issued to help immigrants prepare for their citizenship test. It was released last year and replaced an older guide that spent little time on Canadian history but did teach would-be citizens the importance of recycling.
I also agree with Mr. Kenny that we just don't know our own real history because it's just not being taught. Instead revisionist history is being taught.
Kenney also took a shot at how Canadian history is often taught, saying there is too much emphasis put on social history and some recounts of Canada’s story make it sound like the country was built of oppression and injustice.
“If that indeed is the way in which we seek to teach history, no wonder that young people aren’t particularly interested,” Kenney said.
Canada has a great historical story, I believe that needs to be told. . The progressives for some reason are the ones who have not wanted Canada's real history taught. They would have you believe for instance that our military history is that of just peacekeeping which is not true.
The only way for us to know our real history sadly is to actually learn it on our own and pass it on to our children. We have to go back, take the time to research, and read the actual words that our leaders have have spoken and have written. That's the way you get the truth about our history.
If we don't know our true history we cannot really move forward and are doomed to repeat. My hope is that someone at the new SunTV will take up the mantle just as Glenn Beck has done on Foxnews. He and his staff have done a fantastic job doing the research and presenting it to the American people the true history of the United States of America. He has presented facts about their history that was not known by most people before just by going back and reading the actual words of their leaders. I really truly hope that someone will do that at SunTV and teach Canadians our real history.
