‘Where are all these students coming from?’ History lecturers’ perspectives on the preconceived ramifications of compulsory school history in South Africa

Abstract

On 5 May 2015, South Africa’s former Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, announced a proposed transformative policy to make history a compulsory subject through to Grade 12. While aimed at fostering historical awareness and critical thinking, this proposal would have significant implications for educators at both secondary and tertiary levels. University lecturers, in particular, would face challenges adapting to increased enrolment, diverse student backgrounds (cultural, ethnic, socio-economic and academic differences among students) and varying levels of academic preparedness. This paper offers insights into the broader educational and pedagogical implications of the proposed policy shift. To achieve this, we focus on the challenges associated with managing potential increased enrolment numbers, shifts in curriculum focus, one of the student requests during the 2015-2016 student protest, and the need for adapting teaching methods to meet students’ varied academic levels and interests. The research adopts a qualitative approach, employing semi-structured interviews to capture the perceptions of six lecturers from different universities regarding this proposed policy shift to make history a compulsory subject in the Further Education and Training Band. Through thematic analysis, the study identifies key patterns and insights related to the impact of making history a compulsory subject. The research findings are viewed from two dimensions. On the one hand, there is an opportunity for lecturers to engage a broader range of students in historical inquiry, fostering critical thinking skills and promoting historical consciousness across disciplines. On the other hand, concerns are raised about the strain on resources, larger class sizes and the potential dilution of academic rigour. While broader studies on policy shifts address resource allocation at a macro level, the urgent need for localised institutional strategies are recommended to sustain pedagogical quality amidst rising student numbers.