The teaching of history in South Africa today - some problems and suggestions

Inaugural lecture--Department of History, Rand Afrikaans University, 16 April 1969This lecture deals with some of the problems confronting the teaching of history in South Africa and at the same time makes suggestions for improvement. Firstly, it shows that the problems with which we are faced to-day are universal and that methods of teaching history are being re-appraised throughout the Western world. In this respect attempts have been made internationally, inter alia, to remove national prejudice in a world which has shrunk and in which all nations should co-exist as one family. Objectivity is an ideal which is difficult to achieve and in the teaching of history at secondary school level no nation on earth is unbiassed. The question of history as a compulsory subject in the Western world and the importance attached thereto is also investigated. This is followed by a comparison of South Africa with various other countries regarding the aim, purpose and value of teaching history, from which it can be seen that South Africa is by no means lagging behing -the same problem exists everywhere. Attention is drawn to the ever-widening horizons of history, and the problem of limiting the amount of material to be studied, and some suggestions are advanced: for example, there should be no repetition of material in prescribed works. It is then suggested that there ought to be a closer relationship between university and high school in order to make better provision for adaption to university requirements. The question is asked whether the high school history teacher should not, in fact, be in possession of an Honours degree instead of only a B.A., and whether the B.A. degree should not be extended to a fouryear course so that the theoretical foundations of the subject, such as historical method, historiography and philosophy of history, which at present are only dealt with in the Honours year, might be included. The alternative would be to incorporate this section in the existing undergraduate years, or otherwise teach it as a subject at teachers' colleges. The question is also posed as to whether our history teachers read sufficiently around their subject, and whether they should not also interest themselves in the writing of simplified histories for young people. Too little attention is given to experimenting with matters pertaining to the pedagogical, psychological and didactic aspects of their subject. To render the past as a 'living' past, all kinds of aids should be utilised. In addition, criticism directed against the teaching of contemporary history is discussed and is rejected as being unfounded. In conclusion the question is asked whether external examinations should not be replaced by internal examinations in view of the tension experienced by both teachers and pupils alike and which tends to impede the value of teaching history