The future of the past: the national inquiry into school history

The National Inquiry into School History was established and funded by the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs to examine the status and nature of school history in Australia.  It focused mainly on qualitative research techniques to ascertain how history was being taught in schools in all the states and territories.  The project team reviewed recent and current national and international research, examined overseas best practice, interviewed stakeholder representatives, conducted focus group discussions from interested parties and visited schools which had been recommended as best practice school history sites. 

The major research findings considered:

• school history as a field of study;
• studying history in primary school;
• studying history and studies of society (SOSE) in secondary schools;
• history’s relationship with civics and citizenship education;
• professional development and curriculum support for history teachers;
• history and the prescribed curriculum;
• Australian history, Indigenous history and national identity;
• preservice issues; and
• management of curriculum design. 

The Inquiry teams’ case for school history considers the argument for history as a unique field of study as well as arguments for its importance and value as an essential and central field of study in schools.  Recommendations that have come out of the Inquiry include:

• a national seminar;
• a national centre for education;
• both a primary and a secondary history project;
• the creation of a locally-based professional development consortia;
• direct Commonwealth Government support for subject associations;
• a nationally offered postgraduate programme in history education;
• an Australian handbook on the teaching and learning of history; and
• a National Centre website. 

This report suggests that the recommendations could be combined as part of a Centenary of Federation Commonwealth Government National History Project and implemented over the period 2000-2003.

Full Report:  download PDF    (3.0 MB, 211 pages)

Executive Summary:  download PDF    (543.4 KB, 18 pages)