Proposed revision of history syllabus for schools: Expect a curriculum of hate

20 December 2018

The South African syllabus for history at school level is already Afrocentric and anti-Western. The FF Plus expects that the proposed revision of the syllabus to 'make it more Afrocentric and relevant to South African pupils' – as was recently announced – will result in a curriculum of hate.

If one has a closer look at the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS), then an anti-Western bias is already evident. For example, the French and Russian Revolutions are presented as Europe's only valuable contributions to the advancement of humanity.

And then South Africa's white people (irrespective of whether they are Afrikaans or English speaking) are portrayed as people who have contributed nothing but destruction to the history our country.

In the description of South Africa's Second Freedom War (incorrectly referred to as the South African War), the Afrikaners' ideal to achieve freedom is only mentioned as an aside. Instead, the current Marxist interpretation means that the wars are misrepresented as class-driven conflicts.

While a well-trained historian may still be able to find ways in which to present a balanced picture of our history using the CAPS, the textbooks approved by the Department make it impossible. On top of that, the answers required by the questions in the exams often determine what is taught in the classroom.

If the Minister plans to amend the syllabus and steer it in this direction even further, then the FF Plus expects nothing but a curriculum of hate. And that confirms one of the party's central policy statements:

According to the FF Plus, cultural councils, like an Afrikaner council, must be elected for the different groups countrywide and these councils must have the power to manage the education in schools that prefer to have it that way.

Voting for any other party will only serve to reinforce the state's stranglehold on education and will surely fan the flames of hatred against minorities.

Issued by Wynand Boshoff, FF Plus spokesperson: Education, 20 December 2018