THIS article originated in addresses to the annual conferences of the Queensland History Teachers Association on 23 June 1996 and the South Australian History Teachers Association on 24 March 1997, with some subsequent revision. It begins with the widespread concern that the teaching of history is under threat, considers statistical evidence for the decline of history enrolments in the postcompulsory years of schooling, and qualifies the predictions of the doomsayers. The principal concern is with the erosion of history as part of the common curriculum in Years P-10 and its subsumption into studies of society and environment. I suggest that if history is to be restored to its proper place in the school curriculum, we need to think of academic history and school history as related but distinct activities. The renewed attention to civics provides an opportunity to revive school history.
AinleyJ.RobinsonL.Harvey-BeavisA.ElsworthG.FlemingG. (1994). Subject choice in Years 11 and 12. Canberra: AGPS
2.
AinleyJ. (1995). Curriculum participation and provision in Years 11 and 12: Is there a crisis in the humanities? Paper presented to the Biennial Conference of the Australian Curriculum Studies Association, Melbourne, 1995
3.
BarcanA. (1959). The development of history in New South Wales educational institutions since 1880. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Sydney, 1959
4.
Civics Expert Group. (1994). ‘Whereas the people …’: Civics and citizenship education. Canberra: AGPS
5.
ClarkC. M. H. (1950). Select documents in Australian history 1788-1850. Sydney: Angus & Robertson
6.
ClarkC. M. H. (1955). Select documents in Australian history 1851-1900. Sydney: Angus & Robertson
7.
DeningG. (1996). Performances. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press
8.
EtheringtonN.StannageT. (1995). So you want to study … history. Canberra: Department of Employment, Education and Training, Higher Education Division
9.
GrayI. (1996). [Queensland Year 12 history enrolment statistics]. History Teacher, 33 (1), 28–30
10.
KempD. (1997). Discovering democracy: Civics and citizenship education. Ministerial Statement by the Hon. Dr David Kemp, 8 May 1997.
11.
MacintyreS. (1994). A history for a nation: Ernest Scott and the making of Australian history. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press
12.
MacintyreS. (in press). History. In Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, Review of research in the social sciences.
13.
QuartlyM. (1997). Submission to the Review of the Victorian Certificate of Education from the deans of arts, social sciences and humanities faculties in Victorian universities, 14 April 1997
14.
ScottE. (1916). A short history of Australia. London: Oxford University Press
15.
SerleG. (1973). The state of the profession. Historical Studies. 15, 686–702
16.
ThomasJ. (1994). The history of civics education in Australia. In Civics Expert Group, ‘Whereas the people …’: Civics and citizenship education (Appendix 4.1). Canberra: AGPS
17.
YoungCarmel (1996). Civics and citizenship education and the teaching of history. Unicorn, 22 (1), 64–71
