Why history lessons drain passion – and how we can fix it
History should ignite curiosity, creativity and connection. Instead, too often, it does the opposite.
In this powerful History Rage Live episode, host Paul Bavill is joined by medievalist, broadcaster and historian Professor Janina Ramirez to rage against the way history is taught – and how rigid curricula, “great man” narratives and siloed subjects are snuffing out a lifelong love of the past.
Drawing on her own personal journey, Janina explains how school history almost drove her away from the subject she loved, why women and ordinary people remain marginalised in classrooms, and how our education system has all but killed the polymath. From medieval walls to modern smartphones, she makes a passionate case for interdisciplinary history that reflects real human lives – not just battles, kings and dates.
Along the way, the conversation ranges widely:
• Why women’s history is still treated as optional or tokenistic
• How figures like Christine de Pizan and Hildegard of Bingen challenge everything we think we know about the past
• Why timelines matter – but rigid periodisation often doesn’t
• How digital access could create a new generation of polymaths
• And why rewriting history isn’t about politics, but accuracy
This episode is essential listening for teachers, students, parents, historians and anyone who’s ever felt bored by history lessons – and wondered why.
If you’ve ever loved history but felt pushed away by how it’s taught, this rage is for you.
About the guest: Professor Janina Ramirez
Professor Janina Ramirez is a medievalist, art historian and broadcaster, and President (for life) of the Gloucester History Festival. She is renowned for bringing interdisciplinary, people-centred history to wide audiences through books, television and public scholarship.
Books
📘 Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe
Available here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780753560419
Follow & contact Janina Ramirez
More History Rage with Janina Ramirez
🎧 Episode 82 – Medieval women written out of history: https://pod.fo/e/1ef944
🎧 Episode 147 – Life inside a medieval convent: https://pod.fo/e/269598
About History Rage
History Rage is the podcast where historians vent their frustrations and dismantle the myths we were taught at school. Hosted by Paul Bavill, each episode challenges comfortable narratives and puts passion back into the past.
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Stay angry. History depends on it.
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