“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”

— Marcus Garvey

Not long ago, Bermuda’s public school history curriculum focused almost exclusively on European and American history, with very little taught about our own 400-year history.

Much work has been done during the past few years to expand the curriculum to ensure that students from Primary 1 right through to Senior 3 learn about their history, origin and culture so they may grow strong roots and embrace the future with a good knowledge of their ancestors’ past.

From P1 to P6, the Bermuda Social Studies Curriculum consists of four modules: society and culture, politics and law, economy and technology, and environment.

The P1 to P3 curriculum focuses on building national pride and a national identity by introducing students to Bermuda’s history through the eyes of the various cultures that make up our population.

In P1, students are introduced to the entire island through the eyes of those of African ancestry. P2 focuses on daily life in Bermuda through the eyes of a Portuguese family, while P3 focuses on a Bermuda year, including holiday festivities and traditions, through the eyes of a family of European ancestry.

The P4 to P6 curriculum focuses on Bermuda’s history, using a dedicated textbook written by local writer Rosemary Jones, Bermuda Five Centuries — Teachers Guide. Topics of study include “The Isle of Devils (1505—1684)”, “Sea Salt and Slavery (1684—1834)”, “Boomtown to Boers (1834-1918)”, “Votes, Visitors and Victory (1918—1945)” and “Coming of Age”, which covers 1945 to the present.

Once students enter middle school, the M1 curriculum includes more in-depth study of Bermuda’s history and branches out to learn about ancient civilisations, including Egypt, Ghana and Axum — now known as Ethiopia — as well as slavery, its abolition and emancipation.

These topics are expanded in M2, with classes on the discovery, exploration and settlement of Bermuda as well as slavery, the slave trade and its abolition in Bermuda. Beginning in September 2016, a new course will be added — “Emancipation and its Aftermath”.

M3 students learn about Bermuda from 1920 to the present, including women’s rights, voting rights, political parties and trade unions.

The M3 curriculum also includes the history of colonisation and independence in the Caribbean and Africa from 1804 to the present. “Citizenship and Human Rights” will be introduced as a new course in the next school year.

Senior school students will have new classes from September that include “System of Laws in Bermuda”, “Challenging the Oligarchy (1918—1959)” and “From 1959 to the present”, which will cover race relations, universal suffrage, politics and the rise of international business.

The students have the choice of taking American history, which includes a component that focuses on African-American history, as well as the “Introduction to Africa” course, which focuses on the earliest East African civilisations.

Finally, for the “Preserving our heritage” course, students conduct in-depth research into an aspect of Bermuda’s history and create a webpage to preserve the information, with the research also presented to community partners.

It is important to note that, as it relates to black history in Bermuda — in particular, politics, protests, labour unrest, struggles and triumphs — these topics form part of the curriculum from P1 through to the final year of senior school.

Students learn about the pivotal figures in Bermuda history, from Mary Prince to Sally Bassett and from E.F. Gordon to Pauulu Kamarakafego and the many others who have shaped us as a people.

Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political philosopher, once said: “When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.”

This Government is making sure that our students will have no fear of walking in darkness.

With a firm knowledge of our history and culture, we can embrace the challenges of the 21st century armed with knowledge, understanding and appreciation of each other so that we can move forward together as one Bermuda.

• Nandi Outerbridge is the Junior Minister of Community, Culture and Sport, and the MP for St George’s West (Constituency 2).