Is the Global curriculum really globalized? Image from Wikimedia Commons.
For a long time, the United States history curriculum has largely focused on Europe and the U.S. Of course, living in the U.S., it is important for students to have knowledge of both U.S. history and the European history that heavily influenced on the United States. However, this creates an imbalance of knowledge about other important topics, like the Middle East or Asia.
The United States has been one of the leading world economies since the 1920s, but now, other economies, specifically those of India, China, and the other BRICS countries, are on the rise.
The Economist predicts that China’s economy will surpass the U.S. in 2019, and according to The Economic Times, India is likely to overtake Japan’s economy in 2028, to become the third largest economy in the world after China and the United States.
Economies and countries around the world are becoming more globalized, and right now, United States history and language curriculums are not set up to prepare young Americans to live in that world. Global studies and language offerings must become more comprehensive if youth are to adapt to a worldwide power shift.
Having a greater comprehension of Asian, Middle Eastern, and African cultures and economies will assist current students when they look for jobs in a more global economy.
Language choices, too, should be more practical. Currently, many American schools offer language choices of French, German, and Spanish– eurocentric choices. While Spanish is still a common and useful language, and is predicted by 2050 to be equal to English in Language dominance. French and German don’t even make the predicted list of dominant languages by 2050.
Instead, linguist K. David Harrison said Chinese will continue to dominate, with Hindu-Urdu from India and Arabic pushing past English. Learning French and German in school, while it may be traditional, is impractical if schools wish the languages offered to be those most useful to students in the future.
The United States can continue to be great, but what is taught in school must change in order to prepare students for the changing, globalized future. Sometimes, we can’t afford to keep it close to home.