Historical irrelevance?

Teacher: You have just spent 40 minutes presenting on Egyptian civilisation and the Carthaginian Empire and you have no idea why it's relevant to us today???

Student: Er... yeah.

Teacher: So why do we need to know all this? So much detail about the Punic Wars, Carthage, the pyramids and the mummy thingamajigs? What on earth have we been stupidly copying notes down for?

Student: Because.... mummification is interesting?

(stifled laughs from across the classroom)

Teacher: (raises eyebrows quizzically at class, deliberate pause left for the stupidity of that statement to sink in)

Student (excitedly): Oh! Oh! ... and because then we can learn from the wars!

Teacher: which will be....?

Student: So that we learn from our mistakes... and not fight wars?

Teacher: Now do you REALLY think that in the entire sweep of human civilisation man has really learnt anything about not fighting wars from looking at history???

Class (stifled giggles, class in choral response): NO.......

Teacher: So...?

Student: So it means we must keep learning about it!


FINAL GRADE:

Enthusiasm: A +
Intelligence: needs working on