History education at the crossroads: challenges and prospects in a Lesotho context
Abstract
The status of History education within a Social Science education framework
of the Lesotho educational system is a cause for concern. In an attempt to foster
the development goals of the Kingdom of Lesotho, education and especially Social
Science education were identified as a major role player. In spite of this realisation,
History education, and to a lesser extent Geography education was identified as
liabilities that could be substituted with other disciplines such as Development
Studies. Geography had, however, gradually regained a position as a major Social
Science discipline while History education is still considered unimportant in
relation to national needs. The evidence is that many schools in Lesotho do not
offer History as a subject and both students and teachers of history are not taken
seriously as academics. Against this backdrop, this article explores the situation
from historical and pedagogic perspectives. I draw considerable examples from
contexts such as Cameroon and South Africa, where I have had the opportunity
to experience the fragile nature and status of History education both as student
and teacher/lecturer. I then suggest why any consideration of Social Sciences with
the exclusion of History education will not lead to the desired national goals,
thereby justifying the need for a turnaround strategy that favours the teaching and
learning of History in Lesotho. The article concludes with recommendations and
the prospects for the future, based on the issues raised and discussed.