〈公民史學宣言，反微調課綱〉An unofficial English version

【Comment】

不但無視於行政法院已經判定馬英九與教育部長進行之調整高中歷史科課程綱要違法，教育部更加快腳步推行。全台高中生一片譁然並集結反對。

Taiwan high school students oppose the illegally adjusted historic textbooks.  Though the administrative court has ruled that the rebuilding of curriculum guidelines by MYJ’s cabinet to be illegal, the Ministry of Education still insists on the new guidelines as if the judiciary branch never existed.

這是台灣歷史上從未出現過的事件，表示馬英九的將自己的政治信仰強加在台灣社會——政治力再一次橫踩社會力。

This is the first time that Taiwan high school students have spontaneously stood out against governmental measures.  MYJ and his Minister of Education have tried once again to intrude parochial Chinese nationalism upon Taiwan society, just one year after the revolutionary Sunflower Movement by college students.

為此，台中一中歷史老師許全義在網路上發佈〈公民史學宣言，反微調課綱〉。有網友將它翻譯成英文，希望能讓包括梅健華 (Kim Moy) 在內的國際社會也能理解：當政者如何努力在台灣塑造大中國思想，使其遠離民主文明。

To support his outraged students, Shu Chuan-yi, a high school history teacher, drafted “The Declaration of Civic History for Taiwan’s High Schools.”  An anonymous net user read and translated the declaration to reveal the government’s arbitrary China-oriented policies to the outside world. The international society, especially Kim Moy, the Taipei Director of AIT, must realize how MYJ is molding the mentality of the people on Taiwan with a view to the alteration of the regional status quo and security.

請網友多加轉傳，傳給許全義、傳給反課綱聯盟，傳給AIT，傳給英國代表處，傳給國際社會…。

All our readers may forward the translation to anyone who is concerned about the democratic development in Taiwan.

The Declaration of Civic History for Taiwan’s High Schools

---an objection to China-centric adjustments to high-school curriculum guidelines

by 許全義, history teacher in Taichung First Senior High School

The education of civic history in high schools, the last phase of 12-year compulsory education, is meant to prepare students for citizenship in our democracy.  Civic communication should be the cornerstone of this significant subject that concerns and backs up citizens.  In other words, civic history should be by the citizen, of the citizen, and with the citizen.

Unfortunately, the Ministry of Education of this free country is sailing against the current, as if it were generating perfect docile subjects for the great old Ming dynasty.

First, the so-called “slight adjustment” of the curriculum guidelines for high schools violated procedural justice.  Decisions were rushed through a small panel of amateurs of history behind closed doors.  They feared civic communication because the new guidelines were derived from their collective totalitarian memories.  Therefore, whoever claims to be an ardent citizen of this democracy and refuses to be a docile subject cannot but stand up against the Ministry of Education that tampers with Taiwan history.

Next, the new guidelines are not only irrelevant to citizens but also inadequate for the development of modern citizenship.  If few Taiwan citizens take interest in the tax law of the Sui and Tang dynasties, how do the guidelines persuade the whole country that our high school kids need to know it well? It is histories of the environment, economics and human rights that concern most modern citizens, not how Chinese in the 7^th and 8^th centuries paid their tax. Yet, the new curriculum guidelines still regrettably insist on ancient Chinese Imperialism.  Any Taiwan-minded history teacher that fears to generate hoodlums on the international stage cannot but stand up against the tampered curriculum guidelines for high school students.

Last but not least, the new curriculum guidelines shy from revealing the truth of Taiwan’s past, and instead wish to wipe out the old memories and replace them with glorious China-centric ideology.  Yet, how illusory the glory is!  It is as illusory as the Chinese architectural design of Nanhai Academy, Martyrs’ Shrine, Yuanshan Grand Hotel, and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. It is as ridiculous as the numerous streets and roads that carry the names of old Chinese towns and provinces. It is in fact an imaginary ownership of old Grand China.  However, Taiwan is neither Southern Dynasty in Chinese history, nor a miniature of China.  We are determinedly proud to share respect for our ancestors’ stories here on Taiwan.  The curriculum guidelines that betray Taiwan citizens by renouncing their history are destined to turn to dust and ashes in the furnace of history.

In short, the Ministry of Education’s adjustment of high-school curriculum guidelines not only violated procedural justice, but also aimed at the retrieve of a totalitarian education.  Getting trapped in old ideology that takes it for granted to negate the past of the defeated, these big-headed Chinese deny our kids a proper exposure to imperative current issues on the environment, economics and trade, human rights, etc.  When civic history is eradicated from high-school education and hinders our country from progress, we just have to beat the drum of war and fight for our history and a proper modern education for kids!

〈公民史學宣言，反微調課綱〉

台中一中歷史科教師 許全義

高中是十二年國教的最後階段。學生所接受的史學教育，也是她日後成為自由國度公民的基礎。此公民史學，當有三大特色，一、與公民站在一起( with the citizen )，二、係公民所關切的 ( of the citizen )，三、與公民共同對話所建構的 ( by the citizen )。

很遺憾的，微調課綱恰好與此潮流背道而馳，似乎還停留在培養帝國順民的大明王朝。

首先，這份課綱是違反程序正義的，是少數幾個人，而且是沒有史學專業的，黑箱作業下完成。這是ㄧ份懼怕與公民對話，共同架構過去共同記憶的專制極權課綱。只要是有血性的自由國度公民，台灣不想當專制帝國順民的，都不得不反。

其次，這份課綱所規劃的內容，既非公民所關切，也不足以培養台灣新時代公民。今天還有多少公民會對隋唐制度租庸調法，饒富興趣呢？　課綱又如何能說服公民，為什麼一個高中生要對唐代租庸調法耳熟能詳呢？新時代公民關係的議題，揆諸世界，是環境史，經貿史與人權史。很遺憾的，我們的課綱還停留在中國天朝中心主義，不知今夕何夕？只要是對台灣未來關切的高中歷史老師，懼怕所培養出來的學生成為國際流氓的，對此課綱實不得不反。

最後，這份課綱羞與台灣公民的過去站在一起，反而希望在大中國口號宣傳中遺忘台灣公民的共同記憶。這份課綱所宣揚的其實是台灣人所不可能享有的中國幻想而已。一如以中國古典形式所建構的南海學園、忠烈祠、圓山飯店和中正紀念堂一般，那只是幻想擁有整個中國的、不切實際的規劃。台灣不是中國歷代中的南朝，各城市也絕非北平、天津、西藏路星羅棋布的小中國。新時代台灣公民要對自己的共同記憶尊重。羞與台灣公民站在一起，不斷陷入新政權擁有者否定前一個的過去之井中的課綱，終將在歷史洪爐中化為灰燼。

簡之，這份高中歷史微調課綱，不僅違反程序正義，還停留在培養帝國順民的關懷；深陷在不斷否定過去的、成王敗寇的過去之井中；還與新時代精神相違背，讓台灣人對環保、經貿和人權議題的歷史縱深盲昧。是可忍，孰不可忍。台灣人鳴鼓而攻之！....