There is a widespread belief that studying the past is irrelevant nowadays since it cannot be applied for the better in the present. While it is a valid point for some people, I do not agree with it to the fullest extent.
First and foremost, the past influences our present. For instance, there is a concept in the social sciences which is called “path dependence”. As for the meaning of the term, it denotes the idea that previous actions, decisions, and policies significantly constrain the current process of decision-making. Regarding particular examples, one can take a look at the Russian justice system. Traditionally, it has one main traditional trait traced back to the USSR and the Russian Empire: convicted defendants are given such long prison terms that, while serving their time, many prisoners lose most of the social and practical skills needed for life outside jail. Despite the obvious negative effects of such an approach to justice, no one among senior officials has ever tried to change it profoundly so far. Therefore, history tangibly impacts the current state of affairs, indirectly dictating even the way how some state policies are constructed.
Secondly, the state-sponsored development of historical education can make a society more coherent and consolidated. For instance, one of the leading authorities in the field of sociology, Benedict Anderson, wrote a book titled “Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism”. In this reading matter, he highlighted a common historical narrative, which is the same for the whole population or the largest number of citizens, as a factor that makes the formation of a nation possible. His findings may be proven by looking at modern states where one of the core subjects in school has always been history, which unites nationals from different walks of life living in the country together. Thus, well-developed historical education in the country is of crucial importance for the process of nation-building.
In conclusion, there are significant reasons not to support the widespread opinion expressed in the first paragraph. Learning about the past profoundly impacts the world we live in nowadays, and well-developed educational policy in the field of history does better for the nation, making it more coherent and consolidated.