A nation without memory is a nation at risk

A nation’s future is shaped not only by its economic policies or technological progress, but by the historical consciousness of its people, especially its younger generation.

- By Prof. Ranjith Senaratne

Education is the most powerful means through which a society transmits its collective memory, values, and sense of purpose. Within that process, history occupies a singular and irreplaceable role. It is history that tells a child who they are, where they come from, what their forebears endured, and what responsibilities they inherit as citizens.

For Sri Lanka—a country blessed with a documented, continuous history spanning over 2,500 years—the teaching of national history to school children is not merely an academic exercise. It is a strategic national investment. Yet, alarmingly, despite this unparalleled historical inheritance, there is a perceptible weakening of patriotism, national pride, and collective consciousness among sections of the present generation. This is not without consequence. A generation disconnected from its history is vulnerable to confusion, fragmentation, and external manipulation.

History, therefore, must be taught purposefully, rigorously, and meaningfully in schools—not to glorify the past uncritically, but to draw inspiration, wisdom, and cautionary lessons essential for building a cohesive, resilient, and confident nation.

Childhood and adolescence are formative periods during which identity, values, and attitudes toward society take shape. If historical awareness is absent at this stage, it is rarely acquired later in depth or spirit. Teaching history to school children instils:

@A sense of belonging to something larger than oneself

Respect for sacrifice, freedom, and sovereignty

@Moral clarity, drawn from past struggles and choices, and

Critical thinking, by understanding cause and consequence

More importantly, history teaches that the freedoms and institutions children inherit were hard-won, not accidental. When young minds fail to understand this, complacency sets in—and complacency is the precursor to decline.