SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY PROJECT

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SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY PROJECT

• PRESENTATION TO EDUCATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE

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Cape Town

• 5 March 2002

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A Values in Education Initiative
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History and Archaeology Report (November 2000)

• The teaching of history is central to the
  promotion of human values, including that of
  tolerance. History is one of the memory systems
  that shape our values and morality, for it
  studies, records and diffuses knowledge of human
  failure and achievement over millennia.

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Mission

• To establish initiatives that will bring history
  researchers and scholars together to review,
  revise and (re)write history textbooks.
• To initiate activities that will resurrect
  interest in the study of history by young people

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Timeframe

• July 2001 June 2004

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Funding

• Carnegie (R4,4 million)
• DoE (R4,173 million)
• TOTAL R8,573 million

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IMPLEMENTATION

• A national History and Heritage Schools
  Competition on Heritage Day, 24 September 2002
• Launch of an annual History and Heritage Month in
  September 2002
• A fully inclusive HistoryNet with relevant role
  players (http//education.pwv.gov.za/sahp)

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Implementation (continued)

• A History of Apartheid on the 10th anniversary of
  Freedom Day in April 2004 so that our children
  can never say we did not know
• Oral history workshops with school communities
  over the next three years
• Provincial Workshops April / May 2002 (History
  Roundtables)
• An Inaugural National History Workshop 14 16
  June 2002

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• Establishment of a National History Teachers
  Networking Forum
• Evaluation June 2003 and June 2004

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Increased awareness of human rights and history
in schools

• Important national historical events
• Important national biographies
• Highlights
• 21 March 27 April 16 June 09 August

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Objectives of the South African History Project

• To encourage the recording of unwritten histories
  through the oral tradition.
• To create forums which discuss the nature of
  history and history teaching in schools and
  devise strategies on how it can be improved and
  strengthened.
• To undertake studies and initiate activities that
  will strengthen history teaching in the context
  of the development of the National Curriculum
  Statement.

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Sub-projects

• Advocacy and Communication
• Educator Development
• Learning Support Materials Development
• Curriculum Development
• Oral History
• Research

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Targets

• June 2003 Oversee and monitor training of 720
  lead educators in country (provincial educators
  trained)
• October 2003 21 600 educators trained
• January 2004 1 080 lead educators trained
  (provincial educators trained)
• April 2004 32 400 educators trained

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Networking Partners to achieve aims

• IKS Projects (Dr Wally Serote)
• SADET (Road to Democracy Oral History Project)
• National Archives
• ABSAW Project
• Parliamentary Millennium Project
• South African Chapter of African Renaissance
  (SACAR)
• Youth Commission
• Human Rights Commission
• NRF
• CODESRIA
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission

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• SAHRA (relative stakeholders in Heritage sector)
• SABC
• Education Unions / Associations
• National Forum of Schools Governing Bodies

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Thank you Enkosi kakhulu

• Dr June Bam
• CEO
• South African History Project