History A-Level flaws

The "20th century world" history A-level, while superior to many  other similar forms of qualification, is seriously flawed. The aim of  history is not merely to link together a sequence of events which imply  causation or analyse the origin of certain influential ideas but to  provide a conclusive and factually substantiated explanation for  changes and conflicts. The A-level qualification seems to focus on the  impact of renowned individuals, events and institutions as opposed to  offering students a deeper understanding of the underlying internal*  issues which led to the emergence of characters such as Bismark or  Wilhelm and the not so unique structuring of the Prussian (and later  German) Socio-Political system and the external* geopolitical issues  which necessitated (and to an extent justified) such a militarized  system which, for all it's flaws, was in terms of education,  organization and adaptability far ahead of the rest of Europe and not  so markedly different from the supposedly "liberal" systems of France and  Britain.

   Teaching facts and surface issues has an advantage  in that it takes far less time and effort on the part of students and  (to a far greater extent) teachers while leading to similar exam results  in the short term but it fails to develop the understanding necessary  for a real understanding of the world.  Pragmatists may argue that such a  deep education is neither necessary nor suitable but for a very  specific minority(usually the most intelligent**) yet even if such an understanding of the world does  not lead to immediate material gains^ it's importance should not be  understated. A look into something beyond the mundanety of day to day life gives a young person a taste of something greater  than themselves, it provides the sense of place that many lack and a window into something better. It may not be a human right or cruical to the functioning of the economy but an understanding of what shapes the world we live in is vital to the formation of induviduals capable of moving beyond the constrictions of their upbringing and the time they live in.



*I am not suggesting that there is or  should be a categorization of external and internal factors as in  reality the interactions between intra-German and international



**which usually translates to those whos upbringing has instilled them with the greatest thirst for understanding



^e.g: more skilled workforce = GDP growth