The Writing of History Text-books for Africa

Extract

There is one great disadvantage that the history teacher must feel in drawing up a syllabus of history for African schools. It is accepted now that young children should begin their study of history by learning about their own home district; and at this stage, history and geography should hardly be separated. It is common to find quite young children in elementary schools in Europe putting together little co-operative booklets about the history and geography of their own home; and even in out-of-the-way country districts there are usually enough historical traditions for the purpose. Market charters, manorial court rolls, perhaps a battle-field, or monastic ruins, or a great historic local family—this is material which has reference to places and buildings that the children know well, and which yet leads up easily to the history of a wider area.