The Department of Basic Education (DBE) will host the finals of the 6th Annual Nkosi Albert Luthuli Oral History from 7-8 October, 2011.
Dates and Times: 7 October 2011, from 10h00 onwards
8 October 2011, 19h00 - 22h00
Venue: Department of Basic Education, 222 Struben Street, Pretoria
Enquiries:
Mr Panyaza Lesufi
Tel: 012 357 3760
Cell: 072 148 9575
E-mail: media@dbe.gov.za
Background:
The competition is a project of the DBE, with support from South African History Online and the National Heritage Council.
Each of the nine provinces held previous elimination rounds and will be represented by the best five learners and two educators at the national finals. Adjudication will take place over two days, with an awards ceremony and a gala dinner to conclude proceedings in the evening of 8 October 2011, from 19h00 - 22h00.
The Deputy Minister of Basic Education, the Honourable Mr Enver Surty, will deliver a keynote address as well as present the awards to the winners at the gala dinner.
Each year learners are invited to enter the competition by producing an oral history research project that investigates unique aspects of their local history and heritage.
This competition forms part of the department’s contribution to the strengthening of the teaching and learning of History in schools. Among the topics that learners were able to choose from for the oral history project were:
- the changing heritage landscape of South Africa;
- unsung heroes and heroines;
- the history of traditional leadership in my area;
- the history of my school;
- significant places of worship;
- refugees in South Africa; and
- the history of the liberation movement from 1912: moments, players, and issues.
The competition also aims to improve teaching of history in schools and educators are also able to enter the competition. The educator section of the programme required educators to prepare portfolios on how they went about assisting learners in preparing for their oral history projects, and how this experience has improved their teaching practice in the classroom.
This oral history programme is named after Nkosi Albert Luthuli, who has personal resonance with education. Luthuli completed his Higher Teachers’ Training Course on scholarship at Adams College, before taking up his first teaching assignment in the same college as one of two only Africans to join staff.
It was Luthuli’s experience with public education that prepared him for other more challenging roles in the broader South African society, including, of course, being elected as the 8th President-General of the African National Congress in 1952.
