THE TEACHING OF HISTORY

White Ribbon, Volume 29, Issue 345, 18 March 1924, Page 9

THE TEACHING OF HISTORY

The “Jxmdon Letter” published in le November number of “Headway" mtains a paragraph upon the teachg of History in the public school*., eluding reference to the League of itions. From it we quote the folwing:— "1 hear that certain education authities, ami even headmasters and stresses, are forbidding League of ations lectures to lx* given in their Jiools, on the ground that they ate jlitical propaganda. . . . Happily, r en the (Jovernment Departments now better than that. The Hoard of duration has just issued a pamphlet i the subject, entitled ‘The Teaching ' History.’ drawn up by His Majesty’s tspectors. The ideas contained in it re much tin* same ideas that have fen put forward by the Union's Editdion Committee and in the Kducaonal Conferences which the Union has gnnised all over the countr> during ic past few years. Similar views «re urged by tin 1 deputation from th** nion on the teaching of history to the oard of Education In May, 1921, and is significant that Mr Fisher’s introaction to the pamphlet lays sjs (dal mphasis on the need of including in I ruction in World History as part of 10 historical training given in schools nd colleges. This note is also sound 11 in the pamphlet itself, which is an ilmirable summary of the tendencies > wards the widening of the scope of istory teaching in England.

I “The Hoard of Education has also Isiied a now syllabus in Oeneial Hetry for the Hoard’s final examination • students in Training (Alleges. This lllabus is a careful and detailed I etch of World History, containing rerrence also to the League of Nations, lid teachers anxious to take the wider lew' will now be equipped with the k cessary knowledge. Let us have no k >re nonsense about political propaiinda, for on the League of Nations Ipeiu'. the life and happiness of the pture generation.” In connection with this, the followaccount of what has been done in [lie school, giv.*n in the December umber of the same paper, is of great ptcrest: — A SCHOOL EXPERIMENT. lAt a certain school in the North of In gland the teacher in charge of his-

tory and geography is a keen student of the League of Nations, which he regards as a fortunate example of a great institution which the children

tan actually study in process of growth. The study of a living, growing institution is bound to shed light on the growth of institutions of the past, and vice versa. The history and geography lessons are closely co-ordinated with each other, and v**th the study of th** working of the League A complete account would till a hook. A few points only can la* noted. The scheme of work is briefly as follows : (icngruphy.—First and second years. The outlines of the world, lreat< d in an elementary, descriptive manner. Third year: League of Nations and tin* countries in it. Fourth year: The principles of geography, treated in such a way as to revise the whole world, with the British Isles in detail. History. A three years’ course in world history (as treated in Webster). The third year's work concludes with a fairly thorough survey of the history of the League. The fourth year is devoted to revision, with reference to whatever papers are set for the first school examination. This year tin* Fourth Form are doing Knglish history. sf* B.<\ 1880, in outline, with 1888-1880 in more detail.

The 210 pupils under t hr* charge of this teacher fnot the whole school) an* organised into a league “Assembly.” Each of the fifty-four members of the League is represented h> a group of pupils, who take a special interest in the counti y they represent, in addition to the ordinary class work. Each class of thirty or so is a smaller As s mb!y, in which thirty countries are represented -one pupil to each countiv. This individual or group work varies considerably, blit quite a number of th<* pupils can acquit themselves creditably, and one or two have shown a knowledge which one can only descril** as verging on the phenomenal. Such work is based on “The People of all Nations." magazines like “Headway,” and ordinary history and geography books. Debates can be based on this work, eg.: (1) Which is the best country to emigrate to? (2) Italy v. Greece, etc. The latter would take the form of a meeting of the League Council (plus Greece, of course).

Once the children become fttmiliar with tluii countries. their knowledge can Ik utilised in many and tar reaching ways. Thus, even in the fouitn >car course, dealing with the general principles of mathematical, physical, and human geography, the following method is useful. In dealing with c* mate, for instance, the individuals representing countries supply details, which are then co-ordinated. Thus. Italy, Greece, etc., are noticed to have the same type of climate the Mediterranean; and the main points of world geography are arrived al inductively. In addition to the ordinary school library, there is a special history anti geography library, including the l*‘st it \l lH*oks and general works; also all the literature of the League of Nations Union 'which is of any interest to children. Ten copies of Miss Spauli'« “Fight for Peace” were taken to the school when the book ttrst appeared, and have been in active very active service ever since. The school, or rather the maslei concerned, possesses a set of lantern slides showing “The League at Work.' which are exhibited periodically, with an accompanying lecture. The above brief sketch by no means »locs justice to the work, but it must suffice. In conclusion, let it be said, no direct propaganda of a sermonising or biassed character is indulged in. The history and geography of the wo-l is used to give the children some understanding of the world in which they live, and of whieh the League <»! Na tlons is an important feature. The League of Nations is used to Jnfus* living interest into the history and geography. A history or geography which mds in 1920 01 I**fore is (it not antiquarian), at least not the history or geography of the present world. (This example has since been followed by other British schools.)