Australian teachers say 10,000 more will be needed to implement new history requirements
SOURCE: The Age (10-16-07)
[Prime Minister Howard's plan to require students in grades 9 and 10 to take 150 hours of Australian history classes has raised practical questions, say some.]
The History Teachers Association of Australia obviously wants the subject accorded a higher status, but warns of the time and resources this plan requires. It estimates 10,000 extra specialist teachers would have to be trained as history goes from a fringe subject to one taught over a mandated 150 hours to every student. To put that in perspective, most VCE units — a semester of work at year 11 or 12 standard — require 54 to 72 hours' classroom study, depending on the subject.
The History Teachers Association of Australia obviously wants the subject accorded a higher status, but warns of the time and resources this plan requires. It estimates 10,000 extra specialist teachers would have to be trained as history goes from a fringe subject to one taught over a mandated 150 hours to every student. To put that in perspective, most VCE units — a semester of work at year 11 or 12 standard — require 54 to 72 hours' classroom study, depending on the subject.
Source:
The Age
Source URL:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/editorial/political-class-should-learn-its-history-too/2007/10/15/1192300681840.html
Date:
10-16-07
