Subject choice is vital for our children's future
6 April 2015
Recent media reports have highlighted the intention of the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to make history a compulsory subject at all South African schools.
The DA acknowledges the role history plays in forming our present. It is vitally important that our children have a firm grasp of the history of our country. We support the National Development Plan's contention that history, heritage and culture "foster social understanding and cohesion, which is important for social and economic stability and growth".
However, Minister Motshekga has made a number of statements that raise concern about her intentions.
When the Minister presented her 5-year strategic plan to the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, she stated: "There have been many calls made for us to make history compulsory." We are aware of only one call, and that has been from SADTU.
Last year SADTU called for History to be rewritten to ensure that it is "relevant", and for it to be made a compulsory subject to be carried through to matric.
It seems that the DBE has acceded to their demands yet again, perhaps more for political reasons than sound educational policy objectives.
In her 5-year plan, the Minister labels the "critical policy initiative" of teaching history at all grades "an emerging priority", but fails to qualify this. How did it become a priority? Exactly who or what has informed her statement?
The Minister said further: "We are doing research to see up to what level it must be compulsory". We welcome this, but we question why she referred to making history compulsory in all grades before doing the research necessary to motivate this.
The 5-year plan also describes the "development of norms and standards for uniform implementation in all provinces" as a necessity.
A political decision, rather than an educational one, on the reconfiguration of our curriculum has the potential to turn the subject of History into a political, ideological instrument as it was used during the years of Apartheid.
We therefore call on Minister Motshekga to be thoroughly transparent in her handling of the matter, and to engage in extensive public conversation and expert consultation before implementing any plans.
The DA fully supports the need to understand and acknowledge our past. However, we simply cannot support history being 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.
There are many ways to celebrate our heritage without limiting academic choice by making history a compulsory, examinable subject up until matric.
Thus, while young people should be given every opportunity to honour their past, they must, even more so, be allowed to choose the subjects that will allow them to own their future.
Statement issued by Annette Lovemore MP, DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education, April 6 2015
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