Teaching Controversial Issues

Newbridge Integrated College

August 2013

Aims of Session 9.30-11.00am

Raise your awareness of context and scope of addressing the teaching of controversial issues.

Constraints and limitations

Some examples of effective practice

Some ideas for the way forward

(ensuring good practice is disseminated and relevant materials made available)

Interpretations

identity

Different viewpoints

Commemoration

What makes an issue contentious?

Relevant because of what is happening in the world now

Deal with issues of injustice, intolerance and/or suffering

Deal with religious tensions

Deal with racial tensions

Deal with treatment of others, in terms of attitudes towards, repression of or retaliation of individuals and/or groups

The Decade of Anniversaries 2012-2022

Ulster Covenant 2012

Labour Movement 2013

World War 1 2014

The Battle of the Somme 2016

The Easter Rising 2016

Women’s suffrage 1918

The Partition of Ireland 2022

Context and scopeWhere does the teaching of these controversial

issues sit?

ESAGS

School Development Planning

C.R.E.D

DEPARTMENT

TEACHER

SCOPEESAGS 2009

Quality Indicator is Child Centred Education

“A clear commitment exists to promoting equality of opportunity, high quality learning, a concern for individual pupils and a respect for diversity.”

School Development Plan

1.Schedule and Requirements 2010

A statement and evaluation of the ethos of the school.

2. Together Towards Improvement 2009

Under Strategic Leadership

- Equality of opportunity, diversity and good relations

CRED GUIDANCE

“One of the tasks for education is to prepare children and young people for living in a society that is diverse.”

1.8 Community Relations, Equality and Diversity is about working towards a society in which there is a sense of belonging by all communities; a society in which the diversity of people’s backgrounds and circumstances is appreciated and valued; a society in which similar opportunities are open to all; and a society in which strong and positive relationships exist and continue to be developed in schools, youth groups and the wider community.

QUALITY INDICATORS FOR C.R.E.D.

Q2a The participants work collaboratively with others from different traditions and backgrounds and gain positive learning experiences in a safe and caring environment which promotes equality, inclusion, reconciliation and values difference.

DEPARTMENTRATIONALE

MAPPING TO CRED POLICY

(See quality indicators 1a and 2)

See Statutory Requirements for areas of learning Northern Ireland curriculum (2006)

Ethical Awareness

Personal Understanding

Mutual Understanding

Moral Character.

Teacher

Finding appropriate strategies which allow pupils to explore and face sensitive issues in the context of the subject.

Professional training and development.

CONSTRAINTS and LIMITATIONS

CRED 5.3.10 As such they may require teachers to explore subjects and issues which are sensitive and/or controversial. This in turn may require appropriate professional development and personal reflection.

5.4.2 Bringing young people from differing religious and cultural traditions together to focus on the significant issues which have caused conflict and distress in the past is seen as an integral element of education which works toward insuring a peaceful and stable shared society in the future.

Teaching is also limited by The GCSE specifications, which make no explicit demand to examine

‘difficult' issues.

The emphasis on results, which leads to an understandable focus on the knowledge and understanding of key concepts and processes to pass the exam.

A lack of time at KS4, particularly where there is a large amount of content specification to cover.

Teachers' subject knowledge, which may hinder their ability to exploit potential interesting aspects of the past.

Resources that focus on the exam requirements rather than encouraging pupils to explore more fundamental issues about human action in the past

Teachers' pedagogical ability to handle sensitive debates and discussions.

Some teachers' unease when dealing with ‘difficult' issues.

Some guidance for the Community Relations

Council Start from the historical facts;

2)      Recognise the implications and consequences of what happened;

3)      Understand that different perceptions and interpretations exist; and

4)      Show how events and activities can deepen understanding of the period.

All to be seen in the context of an ‘inclusive and accepting society’

Some ideas for effective practice

Start the teaching of a contentious issue in history. An historically grounded approach is adopted both in terms of historical content and historical process; this would look at what happened, how we know, why there are differing accounts, why does it matter today and in the past?

The use of an enquiry approach, encouraging pupils to ask and answer complex questions the human experience.

History provides suitable context is provided within which to study a topic, for example a broader study of Jewish persecution to avoid seeing it as a ‘German' problem in a study of the Holocaust. English and Media Studies provide rich contexts in which sensitive issues may be explored through texts, films, novels, plays , poems, websites.

Citizenship /English/RE /Art- Stereotypes are confronted by identifying pupil preconceptions and devising exercises and examples that challenge these

Drama - Pupils are helped to access the issues through role play, reconstructions or choice of examples that are initially within the compass of a child's experience.

Why are these issues difficult to teach?

They can sometimes provoke emotional and unreasoned responses from pupils and teachers feel uncomfortable and under prepared to deal professionally with the situation.

Significant events in history can be emotive and controversial whenever there is actual or perceived unfairness to people by other individuals or groups. Sensitivities exist where there are disparities between what is taught in school history and other histories such as family and community history. Often they create a strong resonance with the students. There can also be sensitivity when confronting some uncomfortable themes such as death.

Good Practice For example, there needs to be a clear rationale in

the school for teaching such issues—it is not just a matter for history teachers. The rationale needs to emphasise identity, values and diversity.

Teaching emotive and controversial history is more likely to succeed when it is taught both as a body and form of knowledge, where there is a strong emphasis on independent enquiry, time to reflect and where students understand the complexity. It means building in enough time to consider multiple narratives and explore the past from different perspectives.

WHERE DO THINGS GO FROM HERE?

The T.E.A.C.H Report in 2009 recognised that things will not change without some action. More attention certainly needs giving to this area in schools and through continuing professional development. It needs to be seen as a whole-school issue to help provide coherence and progression. There also needs to be cultural change—supporting rather than discouraging debate and risk taking in classrooms. There are also resource issues—new ones are needed to allow schools to introduce a more varied and relevant curriculum. Above all the Report is not the final word. We need to improve the research and evidence base related to the teaching of emotive and controversial history.

Some examples of effective practice

A rationale for the school that emphasises identity, values and diversity.

Inter disciplinary approaches

Multi dimensional approaches.

Narratives, stories and biographies are used as a means of getting closer to individual experiences and providing a strong context for the events.

Multiple perspectives are adopted to provide alternative points of view. These should encourage a sensitivity towards inclusive language and an understanding of divergent views within the same groups.

There is an awareness that studying certain topics is a qualitatively different experience for some pupils compared to others.

Possible ways forward for schools

Develop some guidelines of teachers on how to deal with these issues as a school website.

Work with CRED team to edit and consult .

Be ready for staff consultation by October half term