History under Howard

For Howard’s history to work, I believe that the government must:

• allow for a flexible approach to instruction by remaining receptive to the advice of students, teachers and historians;
• provide additional training for history teachers where necessary;
• encourage the liberal education of autonomous students;
• include the rest of the globe when portraying Australia; and
• render unto politicians what is politics, and unto historians what is history.

Threatening the states with funding cuts has not been an ideal start, but taking steps towards giving young Australians a bit more of a clue deserves praise, not condemnation.

The Guide to the Teaching of History is actually a decent starting point. Indeed, the government seems committed to a neutral and objective history. But if they think that education is just another front for the sick and tired culture wars, we must strongly oppose the nationwide curriculum. It is not just votes, but the brains of Australian youth that is at stake here.