Transcript History teaching and role of history teachers in Latvia

Actual developments in
history teaching in Latvia
Tallinn, October 24, 2011
Dzintra Liepina, HTA of Latvia
Hierarchy of Regulatory Documents
for teaching History in Republic of
Latvia
• Education Law
• General Education Law
• State general education standard
• General education subject standard
• General Education Programme
• General education subject programme
• Course syllabi
Educational levels where history is
being taught
Basic
education
(compulsory)
General
Secondary
education
(optional)
Basic education (7-16 years old)
Grades/subjects (lessons per 6
week)
7
8
9
History of Latvia and World
2
2
2
World history
1
History of Latvia
1
General Secondary education (17-19
years old)
Grades/subject (lessons
per week)
10
11
12
History of Latvia and
World
2
2
2
Basic Education
Process of dividing the history course
into separate subjects „World history”
and „History of Latvia”.
What were the reasons?
Different expectations in society about the
development of the state after regaining the
independence (national state like in 1920-s,
1930-s or modern democracy?)
 Different collective memories in society
 Low level of trust in state establishments
 Political preassure from nationally oriented
political groups

What were the reasons?
Manipulations with collective memory as a part
of politics in Latvia, especially before the
elections
 Fear of losing the national identity in EU and
disappointment in part of society (even history
teachers) with EU liberal initiatives to teach
more about minorities, migrants, integration of
society
 Lack of the well-considered discussion between
academic historians, society and history
teachers about historical past and the aims of
history teaching

What were the reasons?
October 22, 2004- conference “Latvian history:
an episode or the nation's roots?”- decision that
there has been too little attention paid to the
history of Latvia at schools and teaching is not
good enough
 2006- group of historians and scientists publicly
declare that history of Latvia should be the
separate subject in schools.

26.10, 2005- All for Latvia rally at the
Ministry of Education and Science
Foreign Minister’s letter to the
Minister of Education and Science


On 27 October 2005, the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Artis
Pabriks, sent a letter to the Minister of Education and Science, Ina
Druviete, asking that more attention be paid to the teaching of
Latvia's history at schools.
In the letter, Foreign Minister wrote that the issue of teaching
history was extensively discussed at the session of the Board of the
World Federation of Free Latvians (WFFL) and also during his
meeting with the members of the WFFL Board.
Mr Pabriks writes, "I agree with the WFFL Board's opinion that is
difficult to request our countrymen living abroad as well as the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain Latvia's history, when our own
schools do not teach it thoroughly.”
http ://www.am.gov.lv/en/news/press-releases/2005/October/27-4/
Reaction of the Ministry of Science
and Education




November 2005- the Order of the Minister of
Education and Science about teaching history of Latvia
as separate subject
January 12, 2006 the Order of the Minister of Education
about implementation of piloting of subject “History of
Latvia” from school year 2006/2007
Developing the new subject standards
School years 2006/2007- 2008/2009 as piloting of new
subjects (History of Latvia and World History) in 40
schools in Latvia voluntary
Reaction of HTA of Latvia
Discussing problems in history teaching,
reacting in mass media (majority of members
were against dividing subject, but there were
also some teachers who agreed with idea of
separation)
 Little support in society and also from
Universities
 Meetings in Ministery of Education, finallytaking part in remodeling of the first version of
the new standard

Results of state test in history in 2009
published by theState Education Content
Centre
Red colour- schools taking part in piloting, green- the other schools
Conclusions after the piloting
separated history subjects
History of Latvia as a separate subject doesn’t
improve or worsen achievements of students.
The results of piloting show that the separated
subject teaching does not improve students'
knowledge and skills.
From newspapers
The people are waiting for Latvian history in
schools 2006/07/01, Latvijas Avīze
 Parliamentary commission: teaching history of
Latvia as subject in schools would improve the
low level of population’s history knowledge
2008/04/15, BNS
 The national self-esteem issues include the
Latvian History Teaching
(http://news.lv/Latvijas_Avize/2010/01/23/)


From 1 September 2011 in Latvian schools will
have a new subject – “History of Latvia”, which
will be taught from grade 6. This was announced
today, April 27, after meeting with Prime
Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (“Unity”), told
reporters the president of Latvia Valdis Zatlers.
“On September 1, Latvia’s history will be
studied as a separate subject. This is what was
waiting for society,” – said the president.
(April 27, 2011)
What do we have now?
History of Latvia

World History
improvement of students’
understanding about the
underlying trends of human
development, promoting
the development of
students identity and
promoting the growth of
responsible and tolerant
member of the democratic
society of Latvia

to develop the
understanding of underlying
trends of human
development, promoting
the development of
European identity and
promoting development of
responsible and tolerant
member of the democratic
society of European Union
Aim of the subject
History of Latvia
1)
2)
gain knowledge about
historical development and
historical causality in the
closest neighborhood, Latvia
and Baltic region from
Prehistory to the present
day
acquire and develop skills in
using different types of
historical sources and
understanding the nature of
historical sources
World History


gain knowledge about the
European and World
history and historical
causality from Prehistory to
the Present day
acquire and develop skills in
using different types of
historical sources and
understanding the nature of
historical sources
Objectives: creating the opportunity for
student to
Objectives: creating the opportunity for
student to
History of Latvia
1)
History of Latvia
2)
gain experience of
working in rapidly
changing modern society ,
interpreting historical
events in Latvia, Baltic
region, Europe and World
in independent, critical and
constructive way
promote a sense of
belonging to the Latvian
state and patriotism
World History

gain experience of working
in rapidly changing modern
society, interpreting
historical events in Europe
and World in independent,
critical and constructive
way
Main problem- the content planning and
balance (grade 6 )
History of Latvia: 35 lessons per year
Myself and my family
history (14%)
2. Myself and the local
history (14%)
3. Myself and history of Latvia
(44%)
4. Prehistory on territory of
Latvia (28%)
1.
World history: 35 lessons per year

Prehistory (14%)

Ancient East- characteristics
of civilization and cultural
heritage (20%)

Classical Society and its
achievements (37%)

Arab culture and Islam, the
Arab Caliphate (6%)

Europe during the Early
Middle ages (17%)

Formation and strengthening
of the Christian Church (6%)
The benefits
First time after the
regaining the independence
history teaching has so
significant financial support
from the state- 150 000
LVL (213 431 EUR) for
implementation of subject
History of Latvia
The benefits
Most of the money
(125 000 LVL or
177859 EUR) goes
for the purchase of
textbooks for
teaching history of
Latvia
The benefits
Teacher training courses
 Recommendations for teaching History of
Latvia and examples of lessons
 Digital methodological material with historical
images and maps

General Secondary education
Integrated history course- History of Latvia and
World
 New standard in 2009/2010 school year

Aim of the subject

encourage the development of multilateral
identity of learner as the member of
democratic and civil society, exploring Latvian,
European and world historical processes
Objectives: creating the opportunity
for student to
be aware of the importance of historical
knowledge in understanding of the past and
choice of alternatives for personal and social
development
 supplement the knowledge and understanding
of the most important Latvian, European and
world history events, causal processes

Objectives: creating the opportunity
for student to
deepen the knowledge and understanding of the
historical development of Latvian statehood;
 develop analytical and synthetic skills of
analyzing the the historical sources of
information, in order to assess the historical
developments and the relationship between
past and present independently and in
reasonable way

Literature






http://www.vvc.gov.lv/advantagecms/LV/tulkojumi/index.html
http://zagarins.net/jg/jg263/JG263_Austers.htm
http://szf.lu.lv/files/petnieciba/publikacijas/Velesanas_violeta.pdf
http://www.am.gov.lv/en/news/press-releases/2005/October/27-4/
http://www.likumi.lv/doc.php?id=150407&from=off
http://visc.gov.lv/
Thank you!