HOPE IN EDUCATION
Minister wants history to be made compulsory
THE department of basic education is forging ahead with plans to introduce history as a compulsory subject for all pupils.
History is currently compulsory for pupils from Grade R to Grade 9, but Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga wants it to be extended to Grades 10 and 11 within the next two years.
In a written reply to parliament recently, Motshekga said it is estimated it would cost R17-million to teach the subject at schools.
Speaking ahead of the department ’ s budget vote in May, Motshekga said history may help young people approach issues such as xenophobia and the defacing of historical statues with better understanding.
In her reply, Motshekga said because the subject was optional in Grades 10 to 12 it was foreign to many pupils.
“As a result it remains hidden from certain groups of young people who might not choose it as an option. The subject is very crucial in that it can contribute towards nation-building, national pride, patriotism, social cohesion and cultural heritage,” she said.
The department is in the process of establishing a history ministerial task team that will comprise history experts from universities and provincial education departments, the reply stated.
The department hopes the research will be completed this year and the team can then advise Motshekga based on their findings.
It is also in the process of planning a history round-table discussion at which different people will be invited to address the task team.
Motshekga said the team will review the history curriculum and, based on its findings, the current curriculum will be reviewed and textbooks amended accordingly.
She said preparations for making the subject compulsory in Grades 10 to 12 were evolving and all proposals for change will have to be endorsed by heads of education department committees and council of education ministers.
The DA ’ s shadow minister of basic education, Annette Lovemore, believes that even though it is important for young people to have a grasp of SA ’ s history, any decision to make it compulsory must not be a political one. In a statement, Lovemore also said the DA did not support history being made compulsory through to matric.
“This runs counter to the principle of choice which should be available to every child, based on their skills and their aspirations. It runs counter to the need to compile a combination of subjects that will prepare each child for economic independence as an adult.”
The department has the support of the SA Democratic Teachers Union. It called last year for the subject to be made compulsory.