Yesterday & Today Journal for History Education in South Africa and abroad
Yesterday & Today is a national accredited and open–access journal for research in especially the fields of History Education, History in Education, and the History of Education and where research related findings are applied to improve the scholarly knowledge in these fields. With the University of Pretoria as custodian, this Journal is edited and published under the auspices of the Department of Humanities Education, the Faculty of Education, the University of Pretoria in South Africa in conjunction with The South African Society for History Teaching (SASHT). The objective of the journal is to publish research in the fields of History Education, History in Education, and the History of Education and where research related findings are applied to improve the scholarly knowledge in these fields. The primary area of interest is History Education, History in Education, and the History of Education in a South African and African context. However, research regarding international trends from outside Africa are also accommodated. The journal was started to encourage the development of history as a school subject and aims to involve historians, methodologists, educationists, history teachers and learners. The title was originally Historia Junior (South Africa) (1956–1980). As from 1981, the journal was known as Gister en Vandag: Tydskrif vir Geskiedenisonderrig. In 2006 the journal changed its name to Yesterday&Today. Articles are published in English. The journal is published biannually in July and December. The abbreviated key title is Yesterday Today. The websites of the Journal are: (http://www.sashtw.org.za follow the “publications link”), http://www.scielo.org.za/yesterday&today and http://dspace.nwu.ac.za/handle/10394/5126) and the https://upjournals.up.ac.za/index.php/yesterday_and_today website.
Reimaging, from a decolonised perspective, the Grade 10 intended curriculum and the start of the era of modernity - Portugal covets the gold of West Africa, sugar, and the start of enslaving black bodies
Copyright (c) 2025 Yesterday & Today Journal for History Education in South Africa and abroad
Teachers and the Epistemology of History
Critical Thinking Skills for Students: Curriculum and Practice in Higher Education
Physical Education and Physical Culture in South Africa, 1837–1966
The Bams of Grasslands Farm, A Family History
This position paper argues for including socio-environmental history in the South African Further Education and Training (FET) history curriculum. It is premised on the fact that planet Earth is in the age of the Anthropocene, within which humans have had a dominant effect on the planet and have contributed fundamentally to climate change, which is noticeable through extreme weather events, such as erratic rainfall, floods, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires. These have led to extreme hazards, including destruction of infrastructures, large-scale migrations and loss of lives. Climate change aside, humanity is also facing problems of air and water pollution, deforestation, desertification, famine and diseases; in fact, we still have traumatic memories of the COVID-19 pandemic, which destroyed livelihoods and to date, has left more than seven million people dead worldwide. This paper is based on a desktop qualitative research method and draws from secondary and primary literature on socio-environmental history. Furthermore, it analyses the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), focussing on the FET history curriculum. The study builds on the intersectionality and all-inclusive ecologies of knowledge approach to demonstrate that socio-environmental history intersects with other history topics already part of South Africa’s CAPS FET history curriculum. The paper argues that, through the infusion of socio-environmental history content into this curriculum, history teaching will contribute more meaningfully toward learners’ understanding of the socio-environmental challenges confronting humanity in South Africa and beyond. This will provoke learners to raise questions regarding the nexus between people and nature, and interrogate how this shapes the local, regional and global environments and the results thereof, in the process, inculcating positive attitudes and values about stewardship of planet Earth.
Peripheralisation of some histories in the school history curriculum in the post-apartheid South Africa:
Despite significant educational reforms by post-apartheid South Africa aimed at democratising and decolonising its education system, a concerning exclusion persists: Black intellectuals, particularly the 1950s Drum generation and their contributions to the liberation struggle, remain marginalised within the knowledge base of the post-apartheid school history curriculum. Using epistemic coloniality and epistemic disobedience as the first aspects of our theoretical framing, we investigated this peripheralisation. Additionally, we also used historical significance and epistemic pluriversality to frame our argument for the inclusion of the 1950s Drum generation’s contributions to the South African liberation struggle in the knowledge base of the school history curriculum, given the significant role they played. Methodologically, we employed a qualitative case study design underpinned by a critical paradigm, with critical discourse analysis as our tools of analysis. We conclude that since the 1950s were formative years for enacting and resisting colonial-apartheid policies, teaching about the 1950s Drum generation would enable both history educators and their learners to appreciate artistic, cultural, and literary contributions to the liberation struggle. This would also reveal to them that liberation was shaped not solely by political actors, but equally by cultural and literary figures who spoke truth to power.
Reconceptualising Africanising, and its positioning in history teaching and learning through regional and microspatial-planned programmes
In the past 60 or more years, African scholarly debates on education touched on Africanising and decolonising teaching and learning. Africanised pedagogies should be cognisant of the necessity to sensitise twenty-first century students to diverse scholarly and community voices as they become more accessible as learning possibilities. Equally so, present-day complex contexts in which people live because of the past, requires a more intense regional conversation. With these realities in mind, the authors, both familiar with the field of regional history and seasoned in the teaching of history, engaged in a research project to concisely, yet deeply, reflect on the historiography of Africanising. Secondly, to determine whether regional, and microspatial history variations can be deployed as facilitating agencies of Africanised educational, the authors felt that it is de-ontologised from its former politically attachment. While the historiography emanated mostly from qualitative desktop research, the study that covered the Vredefort Dome region’s value for understanding some curricula topics by considering the histories ‘around us’ had been recently intensively researched for the completion of a PhD. The outcome of this research has been mostly applied as experiential examples in this revisited debate on Africanising in teaching history and the features related to it, form part of this discussion. In engaging with the literature and research conducted in an applied analytical way allows the authors to affirm the possibilities of ‘Africanising’ the teaching of history with the involvement of local communities in the recovery of their memories and for researchers to consider its possibilities in microspatial contexts as a steppingstone towards African-inspired educational thought and scholarship.
Higher Education and Training (HET) history
Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for history
Reflections on coloured identity in the Teacher’s League of South Africa during the early 1940s:
During the early years of World War Two (WWII), the Union of South Africa went through several political, economic and social changes that had profound effects on the creation of what a few years later would be the apartheid system. Racial tensions became stronger as the local political context was in crisis. At the same time, the impact of racial discrimination in WWII introduced further reflections on racial theories, concepts and definitions among South Africans. This paper focuses specifically on debates and disputes about racial definitions among coloured teachers in the Cape. Taking into consideration the historical specificities of that racial definition and racial group in the Union of South Africa, the impact of the international context and the local context, racial adscriptions among coloured teachers changed from exclusivism to non-racialism. Younger teachers went from being proudly coloured to looking for new concepts to redefine a common identity and explicitly choosing the notion of non-Europeans for that. To understand how and why this took place, interviews with former members of the Teacher’s League of South Africa (TLSA), the leading organisation among the coloured educational community, were conducted by the author and placed in dialogue with qualitative research in the Educational Journal and other publications from that teacher’s organisation.
Archival Practice and the Historiography of Education in South Africa: An Overview of Government Collections on Education
Archives provide a large part of the raw materials with which historians construct histories. How these repositories arrange this material, and what they consider as priorities for accessioning it, have a profound influence on what material is more within reach for historians. An investigation into the records available at the National Archives and Records Services of South Africa (NARSSA), for a collaborative project focused on researching and writing the histories of universities in South Africa, shed significant light on both the extremely fragmented nature of the record of education in South Africa, as well as on substantial challenges related to its accessibility. Before the historian of education can engage with the government’s record on education in South Africa, the splintered timeline of education administration must be reconstructed. Furthermore, once the historians of education then enters the NARSSA space, they are confronted with the fact that only a small fragment of this record has been described in archival finding aids. After pondering this state of affairs, this article considers the historiography of education in South Africa, examining the sources that have been used to construct narratives of the history of education, as well as how trends in this historiography could be viewed as reflecting the state of the archives. The article also offers some thoughts on the potential pitfalls and insights which await the industrious historian of education in these unaccessioned collections of the NARSSA.
National Archives and Records Services of South Africa
Reading the African School Curriculum as an Historical Text:
The current research is a critical rendition of the history of the African school curriculum in Zimbabwe. The paper explores how this curriculum manifested itself from colonial times to the present post-colonial dispensation. Methodologically, we adopt a Kliebardian historical approach to an understanding of the purpose and changing nature of education through a study of the history of education. The study posits that a curriculum may be read through a vertical analysis of changes over time as shaped by varying contexts, policies and practices associated with its development. Thus, the curriculum under review is an historical text. The main conclusions drawn from the study are that in Rhodesia, curriculum goals, content, methods and assessment strategies were crafted to serve the needs of the dominant European group, while African education was perennially under-funded. The post-colonial curriculum was, and is still expected to exorcise the erstwhile colonial elitist educational jinx to serve the needs of the African majority. Regrettably, however, it has been saddled with challenges such as policy and ideological inconsistencies, as well as inadequate financial resources to support change and innovation. We (the authors), therefore, see the study as providing a basis for a critical scrutiny and understanding of the history and purpose of education in Zimbabwe and ipso facto, its possible improvement.
Copyright (c) 2024 Yesterday & Today Journal for History Education in South Africa and abroad
Strengthening the history curriculum by reimagining what we teach in the classroom: scaffolding through the FET phase, using the work of historians from a decolonised perspective
In Whose Place? Confronting Vestiges of Colonialism and Apartheid
States and the Making of Others: Perspectives on Social State Institutions and Othering in Southern Africa and Western Europe
Iingoma (Traditional Songs) and Izibongo (Traditional Poems): Implications for History Teaching and Learning in South African Schools
This article examines the embedding of iingoma and izibongo as valuable historical sources that should be utilised by educators in history classrooms in South African secondary schools. It shows how these sources can be used effectively by history teachers to re-enact the past in the classroom. Interviews with elderly people and iimbongi as well as written sources showed that traditional songs and izibongo are valuable historical sources that can be used to present a balanced account of the past in the classroom. Iimbongi claim that the use of izibongo in teaching history enhances understanding of South African history. Thus, iimbongi gave their own perspective on the significance and implications of employing izibongo as historical sources in the decolonisation of history. Written sources and interviews with iimbongi and elderly people were used as a basis for arriving at why and how sources like iingoma and izibongo may be incorporated into the history classroom to decolonise South African history. Using these historical sources in the teaching and learning of history helps to present different perspectives on the history of South Africa. The incorporation of iingoma, freedom songs, and izibongo in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase, as well as in Social Sciences, is a strategy to acknowledge and address the biases that exist in written history. It became evident that there is a link between written history on the one hand, and iingoma and izibongo on the other hand. The link is critical for engaging in the process of transforming and decolonising South African history. It is recommended that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) should conduct in-service training/workshops for history teachers.
GBL in History Education: Insights from Dogs of War
Game-Based Learning (GBL) is increasingly recognised for its ability to enhance educational outcomes through interactive and immersive experiences. However, there is limited empirical data on its effectiveness in promoting historical thinking and Self-Directed Learning (SDL), particularly in history education. This study examines the impact of the Dogs of War (DoW) card game on historical thinking skills and SDL among history student teachers. It also explores the potential of GBL to enhance history teaching by fostering critical analysis skills. A qualitative research approach was employed, analysing playtest sessions with 15 history education students who played DoW. An open survey collected participants’ experiences, focusing on the game’s complexity, rule clarity, engagement level, effectiveness in conveying historical content, and stimulating interest in World War II history. The DoW game effectively increased players’ interest in historical subjects and promoted strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. While responses varied regarding the game’s complexity and rule clarity, the study identified a need for modifications to maximise educational benefits. Participants reported heightened motivation to explore World War II history further due to the game. This study highlights the importance of GBL in history education, demonstrating its potential to improve historical thinking and SDL. Balancing challenge and clarity in game rules is crucial. Further research is needed to enhance game design and implementation for better educational outcomes in history and other fields.
Re-Writing His-Story: Exploring the Censorship of History through School Textbooks and Public Artefacts
This article, titled Re-writing His-Story: Exploring the censorship of History through school textbooks and public artefacts, explores how ideological and political differences of those in power can censor history, affecting how future generations engage with the past. As new regimes ascend, they promote a distinctive cultural narrative that could alter or omit long-standing historical narratives. Textbooks and historic monuments are cultural artefacts created at a specific time, in a space, and a particular context. In South Africa, for example (as in many other countries), historic monuments and public statues have been (re)moved, and selectively replaced by alternative heroes. Likewise, post-apartheid textbooks have been rewritten to include cultural diversity. Our principal concern is the restricted access to key symbols of the past as future generations lose crucial historical facts and a sense of identity as different histories are propagated. Located in the interpretive paradigm, the study utilises a desktop review incorporating critical discourse analysis to understand how meaning is conveyed about textbooks and public artefacts in print media and online platforms. Using a wide range of case studies as its empirical base, the findings indicate that textbook content is censored due to the influence of socio-political, cultural, and religious reasons. Similarly, monuments, statues, and other public artefacts perceived as outdated or representing controversial histories are often targeted for removal.
Beyond Reenactment: exploring the Battle at Egazini with grade 10 history learners using applied theatre
The South African grade 10 history curriculum as outlined in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) requires learners to develop historical thinking skills that promote interpretation, analysis, and critical thinking competencies. One way of developing these skills is through revisiting historical events through reenactments to explore untold stories and develop historical empathy. However, reenactments can become sensational, one-sided events that lack the transformative power to offer varied versions of the events such as the Battle at Egazini and its key historical figures. The paper proposes reenactment for learning as an interdisciplinary methodology that draws on art exhibitions, history literature, and applied theatre techniques. The paper shows how these teaching tools actively and creatively engaged the learner-audiences in the reenactment of the 1819 Battle at Egazini between the amaXhosa and the British in Makhanda, formerly Grahamstown. The facilitators moved learner-audiences from four local schools beyond passive reenactment modes of engagement using games, pantsula dancing, facilitator-in-role, enrolling participants, and reflection exercises in one-hour workshops. The activities helped learners explore the relevance of colonial expansion and conquest themes within the Battle at Egazini context. The art-based interpretation framework also helped address misconceptions and cultivated an interest in wanting to know more about Makhanda, the war hero that the town is now named after. The paper argues for a creative and engaging pedagogy that helps learners make sense of broad topics. It contributes to current literature advocating for creative historical interpretation and teaching approaches in and outside the classroom space.
This article presents the findings of a generic qualitative research study that investigated 20 pre-service teachers’ experiences and perspectives of a group worksheet discussion in a third-year English literary studies module that is part of a Bachelor of Education degree in Intermediate Phase teaching. The participants were interviewed, both individually and in focus groups, and their assessment tasks were analysed. The task was based on the novel, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. The academic essay is the dominant form of both formative and summative assessments in many academic disciplines, but especially in literary studies. This is problematic in some ways as most students who enter university do not speak English as their first language and generally struggle with expressing their ideas in academic writing. Additionally, many students do not have sufficient knowledge of history, and group work can supplement historical knowledge gaps that students may have. I argue that group work is underused in English literary studies modules. The findings of this research indicated that group work discussions can facilitate collaborative, inquirybased and problem-based learning to advance knowledge of history that facilitates skills development in literary studies. These skills include close reading, textual analysis and disciplinary content knowledge.
Norman G Finkelstein’s The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering
Getting your hands dirty – history fieldwork
What’s in a monument? – The importance of context