School Textbooks

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 April 2014

Tuesday, 8 April 2014

Questions (232)

Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

Question:

232. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 141 of 11 March 2014, in which he states that, the Guidelines that accompany the Primary School Curriculum, 1999 acknowledge that carefully selected textbooks may play a role in supporting the implementation of the curriculum but they also warn against an over-reliance on textbooks, stating, for example, in regard to history, that it should be noted that textbooks, of their very nature, cannot adequately cover local history studies and should therefore be regarded as only one source among many for the teaching of history, he has already stated publicly that, for example in County Wexford, students should be taught about Vinegar Hill, his views on whether different history is taught in different parts of the country and whether the landing of Humbert in Killala is of interest to and should be taught only to County Mayo people, or that the Siege of Limerick, should only be taught to County Limerick people; his views on whether there is a need for authoritative and well reviewed textbooks for students as a need to overcome the shortcomings of the many awful and inadequate history teachers; his views on whether there is a need for authoritative and well reviewed textbooks for students in order to ensure that there is consistency in the teaching of history throughout the country and that there can be no disadvantages arising for students of a particular area when taking examinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16662/14]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The Primary History curriculum delineates historical skills that are to be developed progressively by children and a number of strands which outline the historical topics and periods to be explored by the child. The strands have been designed to ensure that children experience a broadly balanced history programme. They reflect major historical periods, important genres of historical enquiry and particular methodological approaches. The arrangement of material within the strands respects the professional autonomy of teachers and school principals, and has been designed to provide maximum flexibility to them in the planning of the history curriculum that they offer to children. The number of strands, and hence the scope of historical enquiry, increases as the child gets older. However, it is an important principle of the curriculum that at each level children should experience material from a range of historical periods and from local, national and international contexts. It is to be expected, therefore, that many common elements of national and international history will be taught in schools, but that schools will also respond in various ways to meet the diverse needs of pupils and to ensure that the history curriculum reflects the local environment and experiences of the local community in the past. The Teacher Guidelines that accompany the Primary History curriculum (pages 33-39) outline a broad range of sources and materials that may be used to support the teaching of history. These guidelines make clear that "carefully chosen, well-produced textbooks may be an important source for the teaching of history" but also advise that "textbooks, of their very nature, cannot adequately cover local history studies and should therefore be regarded as only one source among many for the teaching of history" and that "the exclusive use of one textbook per class could have a constricting influence on the selection of strand units" by the teacher. This guidance is in line with best international practice in the teaching of history. The deputy should note that primary school pupils are not required to take any examinations in history. Finally, I must state that I have no evidence to support the deputy's assertion that there are "many awful and inadequate history teachers".