[Peter_Wright]

History Teaching in Scotland

First, a short History lesson. This is essential because, even among Scots themselves, there is often a woeful ignorance about the education system within their own country. I blame the History teachers for this!

Scotland’s constitutional position places her on a different footing from other parts of the United Kingdom. The Treaty of Union which amalgamated the Parliaments of Scotland and England in 1707, guaranteed the continuing independence of Scotland’s legal system and Scotland’s religious institutions. (Thus, current proposals for a UK Supreme Court may be in breach of the Treaty!)

As a consequence of this, Scotland’s education system has been regarded in the same light. Prior to the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, legislation enacted in the United Kingdom parliament required a separate Act of Parliament. For example, the 1944 Education Act which established secondary schooling for all children in England was paralleled by a separate 1944 Act (Scotland).

However, legislation initiated and passed by politicians has never been the primary influence in Scotland. Scotland is a small country with a deeply rooted educational tradition. For example, during the middle ages there were three universities: Glasgow , St Andrew’s and Aberdeen. To this tradition, the Reformation added an emphasis on the catechism and bible reading and the consequence, by the end of the 17th century was a national system of parish schools which ensured that every child had access to basic literacy. The system was served by graduates of the Universities mentioned above, plus Edinburgh University which was established after the reformation in

This was the theory of course. The reality was a lot more patchy. Nevertheless, the existence of the parochial school system and of the four universities ensured that Scotland’s education system was well established and jealously guarded by a substantial number of parochial teachers , the Church of Scotland and the universities when the state started to interfere in the later 19th century.

The consequence of this was that the system was often driven by the practical classroom experience of teachers. As the state moved in, in 1872 and after, many of these found themselves in positions of influence either in the school boards (up to 1918) or the local authorities (after 1918) which ran the system. For much the same reason and with a lot of clout behind it, Her / His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Schools was also a powerful player in the system. The Educational Institute of Scotland, founded in 1848, also had significant influence since, until a split took place in 1945, its membership comprised virtually every teacher in every school in the land.

Scotland’s education system therefore tended to operate as a consensus of the views of all the above. As with all consensus models, radical change tended to be frowned upon. Thus Scotland has not seen the extremes of educational flip flops which have operated in other parts of the UK. The post 1944 tri partite “consensus” was replaced with a comprehensive “consensus” in the 1960s.

The negative aspect of all this is the way in which religious division became entrenched in the system. The ruling consensus in the 19th century was founded on the world view of the Protestant majority. Thus, Roman Catholic immigrants from Ireland were viewed as socially and politically dangerous, sometimes even racially inferior and often denied access to the education system whether parochially funded (before 1872) or state funded (after 1872). [It is worth noting here that even as late as the 1930s, the Church of Scotland promoted a policy of forcible re-patriation of Irish immigrants.] Roman Catholic schools were therefore set up, funded by the Roman Catholic community and of course strongly linked with the Roman Catholic church and its re-established diocesan structure.

In 1918, Roman Catholic schools, which had been independent of the state system were transferred to the supervision of local authorities. Roman Catholic parents were given the right to educate their children at these state schools whose teachers would require to be approved by the RC church in terms of their religious and moral character. This settlement is still in place today.

And so to the point …

Teachers

Primary teachers are generalists. Some are graduates and some of these will be History graduates. The majority will be limited in their knowledge of the subject which of course will also have to compete with other areas of the curriculum. There is no “National Curriculum” in Scotland (see later) and so History and other subjects have not been squeezed by centrally dictated policies like numeracy and literacy hours etc. The flexibility of the primary classroom can often lead to superb History learning if not necessarily teaching.

Most secondary History teachers are graduates with a PGCE. Some may have studied a four year BEd course, an option now closed off. Stirling University runs a combined degree programme which includes an education programme and a teaching qualification at the end.

The Curriculum

In S1 / S2 (12 – 13 year olds)

There has been an attempt over the past 10 years to impose a degree of order to a chaotic situation via the “5 - 14 Programme”. This lays down broad areas of study which children should study during those years. However, ineffective communication between Primaries and Secondaries and other factors such as prioritising other issues such as “Higher Still” has meant that Primary schools and Secondary schools often do little to coordinate the teaching of the subject. It is still quite common for Primaries and Secondaries to teach the same topics albeit perhaps with a different emphasis.

In S1 & S2 most History departments follow the 5 – 14 recommendations . It is common to see an “Ancient Civilisation” topic followed by a Scotland in the Middle Ages topic ( or “How we gubbed the English in 1314 even if they thrash us today at every possible sport!). Modern topics often include “Jacobites” (More Anglophobia!) and WW2. (How the English needed our help to gub the Germans!)

One of the problems of teaching History in Scotland is our tendency to see everything in terms of our relationship with England.

In S3 / S4 (14 – 15 year olds)

“Standard Grade” courses were introduced in the mid 80s to provide “Assessment for all”. In practice this means a Tripartite division …

Foundation (Grades 5 – 6). For the least able

General (Grades 3- 4)

Credit (Grade 1 – 2 for the most able)

This means that pupils sit two papers in every subject at the end of S4. The most able will sit the Credit paper and the General. The lower half of the ability range will sit the General and Foundation papers.

If you want a more detailed look at S Grade, see here

…http://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nq/SG_History.pdf


In S5 / S6 (16 – 18 year olds)

The Higher

The senior secondary has long been dominated by the “Highers”. This Nationally assessed leaving certificate has been in place for over 100 years. HMI and the Scotch (sic) Education Department were instrumental in setting up a programme which was intended to provide national standards for school leavers and university entrants.

Scottish Highers are traditionally more broadly based than English “A” levels. Candidates typically sit 5 subjects in a single year.

The Higher History curriculum offers a range of choices from various Historical periods. The most common however is the Modern Period. Students study a broad survey of British social, political and economic History from 1850 – 1979. This is complemented by a study of a European context, the growth of Nationalism in Germany or Italy to 1939. Alternatively, it is possible to study a World Power such as USA or USSR

Those interested in the details should look here …http://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nq/HistoryH4th.pdf

“Higher Still”

In the past decade, new courses have been developed to supplement the Highers. These courses were intended to provide alternative pathways for the “new 5th” less academic senior student who have been returning to post compulsory education in ever greater numbers.

Another viewpoint on the “Higher Still” development can be found here..

http://www.schoolhis...hl=Higher+Still

Just to complicate matters, the Scottish Executive Education department has recently permitted schools to teach Intermediate Courses in S3 – 4 as a direct replacement for Standard Grade courses. There are certain advantages to this in terms of breadth of study, simpler assessment arrangements and, in some respects, better preparation for Higher in S5.

Advanced Higher

This course replaced the old Certificate of Sixth Year Studies. Like all “Higher Still” courses it is based on the concept of mastering key skills which are assessed by means of the dreaded “NABs”(National Assessment items). The most popular course is based on Weimar and Nazi Germany but other courses such as the American Civil War are starting to edge in there.

The Future

I’d like to say that History teaching in Scotland is in rude health. In some respects, I can. The subject has benefited from the changed political environment and the establishment of the Scottish Parliament. There is now a much greater interest in Scottish history. Likewise the media attention (“History is the new sex / sport / reality TV etc”) has increased interest among the population generally. A lot of good resources have appeared in all sorts of formats.

The “McCrone” salaries and conditions settlement has helped recruitment in secondary. The one year guaranteed probationers’ training scheme for post graduates (after they finish their teacher training), has ensured that all budding History teachers get at least a year in school to learn their trade.

There’s a down side however. Some local authorities are flattening management structures in secondary schools. This means that Principal Teacher of History, the key post in terms of protecting and developing the subject will disappear in favour of faculty Heads. This can only be bad, very bad, for the subject.

In addition, some schools have used the greater curriculum flexibility they are now allowed to drop the subject altogether in S1 / 2. Two schools in the west of Scotland have dropped History altogether in S1 / S2. This has of course, caused a furous debate in the educational press.

Any questions? Please post and I'll do my best.

[Dave Wallbanks]

Are there many jobs for teachers of history in Scotland? I ask because years ago whilst I trained in Newcastle for my PGCE I had a girlfriend (now wife) who lived in Paisley and originally planned to go to work in Scotland. However I was warned I'd NEVER get a job in Scotland by a senior careers advisor because of my degree, pgce and the fact I'm English (albeit the Scots like to claim us geordies as their own, owing to numerous border changes through time). Is that still true? What do you think of a career in England? Would you swap if only based on hard headed educational thinking?

[Peter_Wright]

Why aye bonny lad! (I can say that without accusations of taking the p*** - I was born on Tyneside and brought up in Whitley Bay and Falshaw Street, Washington, Co Durham before moving up here as a lad.)

The biggest impediment to any teacher wanting to teach up here is GTCS recognition. If you have non Scottish qualifications these can be acceptable to the GTCS but they may also require further study to be undertaken. Check out WWW.GTCS.org.uk

There are plenty of jobs up here for the usual subjects (Maths, English etc). History less so although supply is possible.

Mind you, within a few years they'll be looking for asny teacher who has a pulse. 30% of the work force is likely to retire within 10 years.

[Peter_Wright]

Quote

What do you think of a career in England? Would you swap if only based on hard headed educational thinking?

Sorry. Missed that bit.

I can't speak with any authority except perhaps from what I've gleaned here. The National Curriculum seems to have done a lot for resources south of the border and there seems to be a real push to look at how to teach more effectively rather than curriculum / exam system reform which has obsessed us up here in recent years.

On the down side, it seems as if target setting, exams, league tables etc have becomme far more dominant down there than up here. (Mind you, we're catching up fast!) I also like working in a system which has a certainuniformity and maybe even a shared value system. (Hence the historical preface to my starter above.) Over 90% of Scottish pupils attend their local secondary school which offers a balanced curriculum. Over 50% go on to college / university. There are a handful of specialist schools for talented musicians, dancers etc but they are usually tacked on to local comprehensive schools. Things in England seem much more fragmented.

I often wonder what would have become of me if I had remained in Washington. Would I have made the Grammar after 11+? As it is, I went to a local secondary school which took every kid from the community. I had fantastic teachers (mostly!) and went to the same university and got the same degree as the current Chancellor. I somehow doubt that all that would have happened if I had remained a working class kid in Falshaw Street, Washington.

[D Letouzey]

Peter,

just a few simple questions :

- What websites are you using at school on scottish history ?
For university, I know HCA http://hca.ltsn.ac.uk/
and Sonja Cameron 's Site of the Month

- Is there a topic on Scots abroad ?

- In your teaching, how does the scottish part relate to the European or to the World history ?

Daniel

[Peter_Wright]

As far as websites are concerned here’s a few for starters …

http://www.scan.org.uk/

http://www.scran.ac.uk/

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/

http://www.nms.ac.uk/royal/

Most Scottish schools teach a “Wars of Independence” topic and part of this would be Scotland’s relationship with France in the Middle Ages in the form of the “Auld Alliance” and perhaps the French origins of many Scots families such as the Bruce, the Balliol etc.

The Standard Grade course (S3 – 4) contains a British and Scottish unit. Part of this is concerned with de-population and migration in the 19th and 20th centuries. In addition, there is an Intermediate course entitled “Immigrants and Exiles” which specifically deals with this issue in more detail plus immigration of Irish and other groups.

The Intermediate course on “Mary Queen of Scots and the Protestant reformation” has the potential for dealing with Scotland’s place in the contest between the emerging empires in the early modern period and of course the final breaking of the Auld Alliance with France when James VI became James I of England in 1603.

The changing political scene has encouraged an interest in Scotland’s well established links with Europe before 1603 / 1707 and the absorption in to a British Atlantic / World Empire, which of course the Scots were only too happy to help found and profit from for 200 years and more!

In my own school, we are adopting Intermediate courses in S3 and S4 and one of the key aims will be to give our pupils an awareness of Scotland’s place, both positive and negative, in Europe and the world.

Scots generally have a pretty positive historical self image (“Here’s Tae us wha’s like us” is the traditional toast with a dram of whisky in the hand.)… discovering Penicillin, TV, Radar etc. They often forget the slave trade, sectarian attitudes etc and there’s a balance to be struck there.

[D Letouzey]

Back again on this 2004 subject.

In "La création des identités nationales in Europe (XVIII-XX)" Anne-Marie Thiesse shows how each nation has rebuilt its own history, using sometimes imaginary or false medieval documents (impossible to prove when a fire has destroyed the supposedly original...)

I have scanned her page about the kilt history (in French) :
http://clioweb.free.fr/textes/kilt.htm

Daniel

This post has been edited by D Letouzey: 26 May 2006 - 11:49 AM