HISTORY, POLITICS and ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT POLICY STATEMENT
History
Place in the School Curriculum
History is taught as a compulsory subject to years 8 to 10. In years 11 and 12 pupils must choose History, Geography or Home Economics.
Contribution to Overall School Aims
History courses are designed to ensure that pupils acquire a knowledge of Irish, British and World events, and the ways in which they have, in the past, inter-acted. In particular, pupils are presented with information which introduces them to such issues as the origins of the current troubles in Northern Ireland and the emergence of the balance of power in world politics today. By studying such controversial issues pupils develop an ability to question stereotypes, to appreciate that more than one answer to a historical problem is possible, and a tolerance of other people’s points-of-view.
In addition to providing pupils with information, the subject provides opportunities for pupils to acquire and develop a wide range of intellectual skills. These include the handling of a diverse range of source material, the ability to make informed judgements and how to communicate these orally and on paper. These skills equip pupils for the world of work because they are of value in themselves, are appropriate to a wide range of occupations and enable pupils to be open, and capable of, change. The Contribution of History to the Curriculum
The Department hopes that after studying History for three, five or seven years, each pupils will have benefited to some extent from each of the following general aims. The Department believes that these various skills and attitudes help to prepare young people for the world they live in and for the world of work. History does this by ensuring that pupils will be able to make informed judgements and to produce evidence to support those judgements.
All of this is reflected in the choice of syllabus content since topics have been chosen because of their intrinsic interest, their suitability for developing course objectives and their appropriateness to understanding the world today. Particular emphasis is given to Irish history and Anglo-Irish relations since c1600, but this is set in the context of British and European developments.
The general aims are:
1.The Development of Intellectual skills:
(a) comprehension – of the content of the syllabus
(b) translation – converting information from one medium to another
(c) interpretation – of the content of books, documents, stimulus material
(d) application – of the techniques of the historian to various problems
(e) analysis – of a problem by breaking it up into its constituent parts
(f) synthesis – using the skills above to produce a summary of a problem
(g) evaluation – making and communicating judgements
2. The Development of Historical Concepts:
(a) a sense of chronology and time
(b) an appreciation of change and continuity, and a recognition that change and progress are not necessarily the same
(c) an understanding of cause and that events usually have a multiplicity of causes
(d) an awareness of the nature of evidence: its variety and diversity; its incompleteness; the need to interpret it
(e) an ability to distinguish between historical facts and the interpretation of those facts
(f) an awareness that historical explanation is provisional, debatable and sometimes controversial
(g) an ability to pose historical questions
(h) historical empathy: the ability to enter into a past experience while at the same time remaining outside it in order to exercise judgement
3. The Development of Social Skills:
(a) to encourage co-operative behaviour through group work in projects
(b) to encourage respect for artefacts and evidence by visits to museums (where these can be arranged) and historic sites
(c) to develop pupils’ powers of communication and expression, their imagination, aesthetic awareness and powers of observation
(d) to develop an awareness of the contribution of Information Technology to History
4. The Development of Attitudes
(a) to give pupils some understanding of the society in which they live
(b) to develop a respect and tolerance for opposing views
(c) to develop a continuing interest in History as a leisure time pursuit
http://www.sullivanupper.co.uk/WW2/testimony2.html
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
The Department offers Government and Politics as an AS and A-level option. The course followed is chosen from within the specification provided by the local examination body, CEA. At AS level, we study the government and politics of Northern Ireland and the British political process, looking at such issues as Prime Ministerial power and the inter-relationships of the executive, legislative and judiciary. At A2 level, we compare the British and American systems of government and study the concept of political power.
Pupils are encouraged to adopt an open-minded approach to political issues, learning to listen to alternative viewpoints and reaching balanced evaluations based on evidence rather than prejudice. An active interest in current affairs is promoted; to this end the Department runs a Politics Society, to which guest speakers are invited throughout the academic year.
ECONOMICS
This subject is offered as both an AS and A-level option. The course followed is that laid down by CEA’s specification for this subject. At AS level, pupils study the operation and limitations of markets and the workings of the national economy. At A2 level, we study business economics and the global economy.
It is the view of the Department that Economics is most useful and enjoyable when it is rooted in real-world affairs, and pupils are accordingly encouraged to develop their interest in empirical business and commerce matters.
Economics is a popular subject, attracting significant numbers of pupils in both Year 13 and Year 14. The Department seeks to ensure that pupils are equipped for the study of the subject at university level, whilst becoming more informed and aware consumers of scarce resources.
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