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This article deliberates on the South African Department of Basic Education’s announcement in February 2018 to implement history as a compulsory school subject to the final year of secondary schooling. It outlines the process undertaken by the History Ministerial Task Team and assesses the report it issued, along with the initial reaction to its intent. It reflects on the chequered past of the position and place of history within the South African education system, re-visiting some of the post-democracy debates that have perpetuated from the previous century and spilled over into the present. In the paradigm of Alice through the Looking Glass, it suggests that we might need to go “backward before going forward” in order to stop repeating this conundrum.
Hierdie artikel oorweeg die Suid-Afrikaanse Departement van Basiese Onderwys se aankondiging in Februarie 2018 om geskiedenis as ’n verpligte vak tot die finale jaar van sekondêre onderrig te implementeer. Dit dui die proses aan wat deur die Geskiedenis Ministeriele Taakspan onderneem is en assesseer die taakspan se verslag saam met die aanvanklike reaksie wat dit uitgelok het. Dit reflekteer op die uiteenlopende verlede van die plek en posisie van geskiedenis binne die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel en herbesoek die na-demokrasie debatte wat voortgesit is vanuit die vorige eeu en oorgevloei het na die hede. In die paradigma van Alice through the Looking Glass, suggereer dit dat dit dalk nodig is om “teruggaan voordat ons vorentoe” kan gaan sodat ons nie aanhou om hierdie strikvraag te herhaal nie.