dc.contributor.author | Davids, M Noor | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2016-08-17T12:04:17Z | |
dc.date.available | 2016-08-17T12:04:17Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2016 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Davids, M.N. 2016. “Making History compulsory”: Politically inspired or pedagogically justifiable? Yesterday & today, 15:84-102, Jul. [http://www.sashtw.org.za/index2.htm] [http://dspace.nwu.ac.za/handle/10394/5126] | en_US |
dc.identifier.issn | 2223-0386 | |
dc.identifier.issn | 2309-9003 (O) | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10394/18289 | |
dc.description.abstract | While recognising the contested nature of History as a school subject, this
article explores the political context and practical implications of making History
compulsory until Grade 12. After twenty one years of democracy, South African
society lacks social cohesion, a sense of nationhood and is experiencing occurrences
of xenophobia. To address these concerns, the Department of Basic Education
(DBE) established the History Ministerial Task Team (HMTT) to oversee the
implementation of compulsory History in the Further Education and Training
(FET) phase. The terms of reference of the task team include: the strengthening of
History content; a review of the content in the General Education and Training
(GET) band; its implication for teacher education, professional development and
textbooks. The campaign to make History compulsory was promoted by the South
African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) and intensified after the outbreak
of xenophobic attacks in 2008. To maintain the academic and professional status
of History teaching, this article attempts to answer the question: what is the
purpose of History as a school subject? To respond to this question, Barton and
Levstik’s model: “the purposes of History teaching”, is employed as a framework
to evaluate the proposal. By conducting a review of the post-apartheid History
curriculum with special reference to complex phenomena such as nation-building
and xenophobia, this article argues for attention to be given to the improvement of
teachers’ pedagogical practice and historical knowledge rather than policy reform
which may be destabilising a large segment of the school system. The anticipated
HMTT report is alerted against gratuitous political interference and to some
practical implications of its work for educational practice. | en_US |
dc.description.uri | http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2223-0386/2016/n15a5 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | The South African Society for History Teaching (SASHT) under the auspices of the School of Basic Sciences, Vaal Triangle Campus, North-West University | en_US |
dc.subject | CAPS | en_US |
dc.subject | Citizenship education | en_US |
dc.subject | Curriculum | en_US |
dc.subject | History as compulsory | en_US |
dc.subject | Nation-building | en_US |
dc.subject | Third space | en_US |
dc.subject | Xenophobia | en_US |
dc.title | “Making History compulsory”: Politically inspired or pedagogically justifiable? | en_US |
dc.type | Article | en_US |