Dr Nicola Sheldon Institute of Historical Research University

Dr Nicola Sheldon, Institute of Historical Research, University of London Melbourne House Talks 30 January 2011 History ain’t what it was in my day – why don’t children learn about kings and queens any more in school history?

What’s wrong with history today? 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

Press coverage of the History National Curriculum 2009 -10 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

Outline of this presentation Was there a ‘golden age’ when children learnt all about ‘kings and queens’? Why did the national narrative disappear from the school curriculum in the 1970 s and 80 s? Did the new National Curriculum of 1990 restore it? To what extent is there a ‘new style’ national narrative in English schools? Should Mr Gove restore the national narrative? 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

Control over the curriculum in English schools No central or nationally-legislated curriculum No prescribed text books ‘Advice’ given by Board of Education dwindled after 1945 No central control over teacher training Examinations controlled by university bodies Majority of children never took leaving examinations pre-1965. 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

The traditional narrative 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

R J Unstead (1915 -88) 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

Examples of the English national narrative in school work pre-1970 s Courtesy of Muriel Longhurst 1947 -50 and Ian Colwill 1960 -67 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

Outline of a typical history course for secondary pupils pre-1970 s Age 11 -12: Ancient World to Norman Conquest Age 12 -13: British History 1066 -1485 Age 13 -14: British, European and World History 148517 th, 18 th or 19 th century…. Age 14 -16: British History 1815 -1945 British/ European History 1789 -1939 British Social and Economic History 1700 -1945 Modern World History 1870 -1945 A New Look at History (1976) p. 26 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

A Survey of British History (1951) 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

The history classroom: 1960 s-70 s Copyright London Metropolitan Archives Copyright The National Archives 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

Marjorie Reeves 1905 -2003 Native of Bratton (daughter of R. J. Reeves, Bratton Iron Works Trowbridge High School for Girls – St Hugh’s College, Oxford Doctorate on medieval mysticism 1931 -8 St Gabriel’s Teacher Training College Tutor at St Anne’s College, Oxford until 1972 Edited and wrote Then and There series of text books (195 s-80 s) Why History? (1980) 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

Challenges to the position of history on the curriculum Threats Comprehensive secondary schools by end of 1970 s – mixed ability classes and full ability range to cater for. New subjects crowded the curriculum. History seen as traditional and unpopular (surveys). Opportunities Post-war cohort of teachers + expanded training colleges. 1964 Schools Council set up to fund curriculum innovation. Response ‘Defensive innovation’ by history teachers: New curriculum, e. g. world history, social/local history A re-think of the rationale of the subject - ‘love, freedom and new history’ 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

A history teacher remembers his youthful idealism … I got a job in Devon at Exmouth School, which was the largest comprehensive in England at the time with 2, 400 students. Great place … to learn. There were twelve NQTs (first appointment teachers) in the school the September I started. It was a time of huge excitement and we really thought that the world was going to change. It was 1969, the world was going to change, it was going to be a better place, there was going to be peace and love and better history and I expected and hoped to be part of that movement. (Interview: Chris Culpin, 22 September 2009) 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

School work in ‘new’ history from the 1970 s-80 s Courtesy of Charlotte Crow, 1979 -80 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

The alternative(s) to the national narrative 1970 s-80 s Schools Council History Project based on the ‘needs of the teenager’ What is History? - introductory investigations History Around Us – local history study including site visits (coursework = 20%) Study in Development – a theme through a long period of time (Medicine Through Time) Depth Study – Elizabethan England 1558 -1603; or Britain 1815 -1851; or The American West 1840 -1890 Modern World Study – Communist China; or Arab. Israeli Conflict; or The Irish Question 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

The birth of the National Curriculum 1988 proposed introduction of the National Curriculum in 10 subjects; History the most controversial – PM wanted a core of factual information based on British history - a chronological national narrative; History Working Group responded by emphasising ‘historical enquiry’, ‘skills’ and economic, social and cultural aspects as well as political history. 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

Brief summary of the first NC KS 2 (age 7 -11) core topics: Ancient Civilisations: Greece (also often Egypt – a ‘non-European society’) Romans, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons – ‘invaders and settlers’ Life in Tudor and Stuart times Victorian Britain or Britain since the 1930 s KS 3 (age 11 -14) core topics: ‘Medieval Realms’ - Britain 1066 -1500 ‘The Making of the United Kingdom’ - Britain 1500 -1750 Britain 1750 -1900 Twentieth-century World A past non-European society (e. g. the Aztecs, Mughal India, Black peoples of the Americas). 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

The National Curriculum and the Welsh national narrative Cultural identity at the heart: ‘the centre of gravity of Welsh history … has lain in the social, economic and broad cultural experiences of the people of Wales’ ‘the awareness of the Welsh as a separate people rests… on a belief in the particularity of their own past and traditions… the teaching of the history of Wales … is a crucial aspect in safeguarding that identity. ’ (Final Report of the History Committee for Wales, June 1990, paras. 4. 2, 4. 5)) 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

What does Britishness mean? Interviewer: Do you think the history you were taught at school helped you to feel proud of being British in any way? Ken, born 1923: When I saw that question I smiled, because that’s a question for a modern schoolboy. It has got no relevance at all to a schoolboy in the 1930 s. We were proud; everyone was patriotic. We were aware of our nationality. Today it’s different and that question is relevant, but it wasn’t relevant in 1935. The thought never occurred to us. 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

The problem of identity in English school history 1970 s- present day Old narrative out of date – end of Empire; Multi-ethnic Britain challenges any single narrative; Devolution and the problem of English national identity; Uncertainty about the national characteristics England/Britain should promote; Cultural change since the 1960 s – scepticism the basis of the new history? 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

The evolution of history in schools – the National Curriculum in 2010 The slave trade and the Holocaust the only mandated topics in the National Curriculum (although most teachers still do a lot of British history) (Be nice!) Tolerance and social cohesion the priority Citizenship more prominent (history as a means of learning lessons for the present). But…. No national narrative – so, have we lost our way or reached a new level of maturity in our study of history in schools? 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

The Dutch canon and the re-birth of national narratives 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon

Mr Gove and the Curriculum Review 2011 Should History be part of the National Curriculum at all? If so, what content should be prescribed for it? If content is prescribed, how will it be tested? 18/03/2018 N. Sheldon