Students need to learn about the accomplishments of women in history class
By: Keerthana Sontyana – 2022 Summer Intern
Old, important, history class-worthy men.
The schools in Pennsylvania only teach the average class about “essential figures” in history. Usually, we are taught about men who made great impacts and briefly overview the women in history, as if they side characters in the narrative, right?
We are taught from a young age that George Washington is our first president, but why not that Mary Seacole made a “British Hotel” in between the lines of the Crimean war as a nurse?
Pennsylvania should add a class in high schools to educate students on something they need to know, vital parts of history, women’s history. We have to convince school boards that this is a class we need. Students are missing out on essential parts of their education by not learning about the Mary Seacoles of the world.
Having these kinds of classes could not only broaden a student’s mind about the past but also educate them on something others haven’t previously had the pleasure of learning about, women.
Yes, men have made many great accomplishments, they have succeeded, and brought much pride to most, but women have been repressed and still managed to make a statement with their whole lives … sadly unrecognized.
It’s time to recognize them, it’s time to see them in the light they deserve, and it’s about time that we pass down their stories to those willing to learn. Thank you!
Keerthana Sontyana wrote this opinion piece while interning for the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg and PA Media Group. It is published here.
