Educational History?

Article by Luke Matcham. Edited and researched by Mike Edwardson.

All of us learn about history at some point in our lives, not through museums or the media, but from an early age through our national education system. While most experience history within schools up until at least GCSE level, it is not until further education that many subjects are even touched upon. Many students arriving at university tend to have experienced an almost solely modern educational focus on history, with subjects such as the World Wars and the Cold War often dominating their later school years. Yet when looking at history within primary and lower secondary schools, a wide timespan is covered, with studies ranging from the Romans and Egyptians to castles and the Renaissance. What is the deciding factor in which topics are deemed worthy of coverage? The largely Anglo-centric choices of study in Britain also reflect the broader educational climate, raising the question of how history is dealt with and taught on national levels, with similar historical ‘selections’ made across the world.

•There were calls last year for the history syllabus to be ‘overthrown’ and replaced with one which concentrated on the narrative of British history, placing emphasis on what were perceived to be ‘great events’ in the national story, such as the Norman Conquest and the Spanish Armada.

• Currently, students have no choice over the history which they are taught until degree level.

• The current trend towards assessment based solely on exams would mean less coursework in history; but this has been criticised as potentially stunting essay writing skills which will be needed at university level.

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