Modern History NSW Examples of Syllabus Inadequacies and Solutions 1. Apartheid Archbishop Tutu was not specifically mentioned in the Syllabus nor was the Dutch Reformed Church s support of apartheid, or religion. Religious faith was central to the lives of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Oliver Tambo (photo on left), long term leader of the African National Congress in exile. Albie Sachs (centre photo), antiapartheid hero, connected most powerfully with these two people. He said Prayer and the sense of God are enormously important to Tutu, I am a totally secular person. Desmond has a marvellous sense of fun. ( Tutu A. Sparks & M.A. Tutu; pp 170-1, 310). Tutu has always insisted he was neither a politician nor a leader of the black struggle in South Africa. Our real leaders, he would say repeatedly in those dark days, are in prison and in exile. The government must release them to negotiate a new constitution. His own role, as he saw it, was to fulfil the mandate vested in him as a pastor of the Christian Church, to combat the evil of apartheid and follow God s intention that his people should be led out of bondage into full liberation. The truth, though, is that Tutu was in fact an interim leader of special importance, for he fill the void caused by the absence of those in prison and exile or otherwise legally silenced (Sparks & Tutu p1)
Nelson Mandela once said of Tutu in a birthday tribute: Desmond Tutu has often spoken about the God in which he believes as a being with a great sense of humour. What he himself brought to our national life is that uplifting touch of lightness and humour amid the most serious messages and teachings. (Sparks & Tutu p226) Disting. Prof. Emeritus Rev Peter Storey was a chaplain to Mandela, other Rivonia prisoners including A. Kathrada, a Muslim, on Robben Island Mandela badgered authorities to allow the Muslim to pray at holy place for 6yrs (Syllabus p85 See Reference below)[interest to Muslim students] Storey did much work with Tutu in the SA Council of Churches(SACC). Tutu was active in Free Mandela Campaign. (Syll.p85) P1 Apartheid See Also: Proposed History Syllabus ProposedHS p5,27
2. Indigenous History The Syllabus unit on Aboriginal History does not specifically direct students to study the positive contribution of missionaries and other church people, including Aboriginal missionaries, to Aboriginal advancement. Religiously motivated groups and individuals have played a very prominent and influential role in the promotion of Aboriginal rights and equality, but the Syllabus ignores this. See Table of Contents and Index for various aspects of information available. See ProposedSHS pp5-6 Campaigners celebrated the goodwill of the nation 30 years after the success of the 1967 Referendum. Faith Bandler is on our right of the clergyman. As early as August 1910 the Australian Board of Mission (Anglican) had called on governments to agree to Federal Government to safeguard the human and civil rights of aborigines. Joanne Tuscano Massacres. Missionaries and Mistakes (Teaching History Dec 2009, March 2010) A2: People who changed Australia Content Focus There is a lack of acknowledgement of the role of Aboriginal and Non Aboriginal Christians (See Teachers Christian Fellowship of NSW website:
http://www.tcfofnsw.org.au/htmarticles/historyrecommendations.html) (See also Appendix) This document includes examples of missionaries arguing the case for the rights of Aboriginal people. Examples are given of the support that people such as Charles Perkins and Faith Bandler received from Christians. https://recognitionandindigenousrights.wordpress.com For details on content see paragraph at end of 7. Recognition
3.The Fall of the Berlin Wall A crucial factor in the fall of the Berlin Wall was the role of the Churches. The role of the churches has been given prominence in many academic studies but the syllabus fails to mention this, so that teachers are not directed to cover it. The question arises: if students through their own research or reading become aware of the church factor and communicate this in their responses to an examination question, how will their additional understanding be assessed in the Higher School Certificate? Note: A brief article in the Newsletter of The Uniting Church Historical Society (NSW/ACT), March 2017, refers to the role of Churches in the Fall of the Berlin Wall Details about the churches role are in a following section. See ProposedSHS p6,12, 28 Christian Fuhrer was the Lutheran pastor of St Nicholas Church (Nicolai Kirche ) Leipzig and one of the leading figures and organisers of the 1989 Monday demonstrations in East Germany which finally led to the reunification and the end of the GDR in 1990
4. The US Civil Rights Movement Details about the role of the black Churches, non Black Christians, Christians: Rev Martin Luther King, Rosa Park (see Change Makers ), Christian support at Little Rock High at initiative of Daisy Bates, a non Christian, US teachers study guide on Black Churches follow. See ProposedSHS pp 7-10, 14-16,28 King Kitchen Table p16. See ProposedSHS Religion in USA p16 5. The Arab Palestinian Israeli situation Religion is vitally important both within the Middle East and overseas, including USA and Great Britain, in influencing this situation. See ProposedSHS p10,28 6. Some Pertinent Questions 1. How can the implementation of the new Modern History Syllabus be carried out in a way that will counteract the bias and inadequacy of the Syllabus itself? 2. How can teachers program topics so that their teaching is more balanced and less flawed? 3. How can the Syllabus be taught in a way that properly prepares students for university study (and life in general) by equipping them with a knowledge and understanding of religious influences that have motivated people to struggle to change their societies? 4. In excluding the role of religious influences in History, the Syllabus writers have frequently ignored or negated the research and publications of distinguished academic scholars in the various fields. These historiographical omissions and distortions will affect the standing of the Syllabus as a foundation document for the teaching of History.
See ProposedSHS Catholic text p11-12, Religion & History & Dishonesty12-3,16 Discovering Democracy pp 22-26 5. How can Albie Sachs, a totally secular person, expect that a flawed History Syllabus can nurture integrity and honesty and sense of fun as he described Desmond in the quotation: I admired his capacity to work in this world, but responded to the clarity and honesty and integrity of his vision and his way of dealing with people. There was also a sense of fun (Tutu Sparks & Tutu p170) 7. Recognition of Indigenous Rights This section of the website has been prepared to inform of the contribution of missionaries and other church people, including Aboriginal missionaries and church people, to the rights of Aboriginal people. This, I hope, can be used to give students a more accurate and fair history. There has been no specific mention of the role of church people in the NSW 2017 Modern History Syllabus, nor as I see it, it the current ACARA Senior History curriculum. Omitting church people, it seems, meant that curriculum writers were ignorant of their significant role, or they are unaware that it is necessary for textbook writers and publishers to be told specifically things that are to be studied or topics will be left out. Clear directions would encourage teachers to provide a fairer history. Senior administrator did not answer whether One Blood was consulted. It is also of concern that a senior administrator in ACARA would not answer my enquiry as to whether curriculum writers had read John Harris s book One Blood. Harris book is an authoritative text on the missions and is essential reading for anyone concerned with a wide range of Aboriginal issues including recognition of rights. The book is accessible on line. Failure to mention missionaries in the F-10 curriculum is of concern. I appreciate there are many reports of negatives concerning missionaries and that I still need to include more concerning this in
my developing resource. Avoiding teaching about missions because of controversy denies students robustness and balance in the curriculum. A reference document titled Indigenous & Missions was provided as a submission for Syllabus writers on 11 th December 2015. Courageous missionaries & Aboriginal people of strong religious conviction are ignored in the syllabus. It also denies students and teachers the opportunity of becoming aware of courageous Aboriginal missionaries who have a strong faith. Aboriginal activists such as William Cooper and William Ferguson were also people of strong Christian convictions which were nurtured by missionaries and later were a key part of the Day of Mourning. Ignoring the positive role of missions also denies Australians the opportunity of being aware of some fine Australians. So much of the Indigenous story is about negative people. Important to ensure that all missionaries to Aborigines are not tainted. Many were appreciated and did much to help people grow spiritually as well as become educated and develop various technical skills. In Sunrise Station Revisited [Taree NSW] by Pat Davis-Hurst, A.M. says: The different approach between the Board Managers and Missionaries was evident to the Aboriginal. The Aboriginal trusted the Missionaries whereas the relationships with the managers were very strained. (p15) Ella Simon in Through my Eyes [Taree] said Those early missionaries were very kind. (p36) Missionaries have been seen as bridges between various cultures. See ProposedSHS Indigenous Rights 17-9,Missionaries 20-1 https://recognitionandindigenousrights.wordpress.com/
8. Helping Students and Teachers We hope that as the website is further developed, we will be able, by: Providing additional information on a range of topics and Suggesting lines of inquiry and providing links to resources to enable teachers and their students to access important aspects of topics which the Syllabus fails to address. Reference: Professor Barney Glover, Chair Universities Australia and Vice-Chancellor, University of Western Sydney. Address to the National Press Club in Canberra 1 March 2017. (Page numbers depend on copy of speech that you use). The full speech is available at:- www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au [ Forgetting MilanKunderaPrague academics pp8-9, Reference to Charles.Perkins] Distinguished Prof Emeritus Rev P.Storey: https://divinity.duke.edu/news/peter-storey-nelson-mandela-iknew-and-loved [Brief account includes Muslim, of prison life on Robben Is] http://www.sahistory.org.za/people/ahmed-kathrada Home Apartheid Change Makers Civil Rights USA Day of Mourning to Mabo Examples of Syllabus Inadequacies and Solutions Fall of the Berlin Wall Indigenous people who changed Australia Key Omissions in History Syllabus 3917 Key Omissions Modern History 8319 Proposed Modern History Syllabus ohsikpark.com 2014