Decolonising the archaeology curriculum in schools (KS1-3; GCSE to A-Level)
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Zoom details have now been sent out for this event - if you have registered and not received these, please check your junk mail folder or contact us via conference@archaeologists.net
Description
Decolonisation and anti-racism are a major issue of our time. It is important that professional archaeologists who are doing research in the subject of decolonisation and culture, place, identity and migration, have the opportunity to contribute to the discussion. Teaching, even at school level, must be research-led.
The decolonisation perspective in archaeology comes from emphasising the similarity across global cultures (eg with an greatly increased focus on prehistoric archaeology) and exploring the social-economic background to the standard historical narrative. The status that we still see today associated with the more ‘important’ Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods was framed in Victorian times and served to justify and normalise British colonial activity.
The Decolonising the archaeology curriculum in schools workshop will provide the opportunity for archaeology teachers and lecturers, as well as professional archaeologists, to discuss their ideas and participate in:
- Formulating recommendations for revision to KS1-3 archaeology/History curriculum. The current syllabus is outlined here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-history-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-history-programmes-of-study.
- Sharing ideas for teaching from a decolonisation perspective at KS4 (eg GSCE History https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-history), and ideas for an A-Level curriculum to replace the now-discontinued A-Level Archaeology syllabus.
A one hour introductory discussion on anti-racism on Tuesday 1 June from 7-8pm BST will be followed by a two hour workshop on Wednesday 2 June from 7-9pm BST where we specifically discuss ideas about the school curriculum. Education is a devolved responsibility in the UK. Due to time constraints the 2-hour workshop will focus on the National Curriculum provided by the UK government for England.
Workshop facilitator
- Dr Evelyne Godfrey
Dr Evelyne Godfrey MCIfAis admin of the ‘Decolonise British Archaeology’ discussion group on Facebook. An archaeological scientist, Evelyne is a registered director of an archaeological community co-operative in Oxfordshire. She is a member of the managing committee of the European Association of Archaeologists Community on the Illicit Trade in Cultural Material, and serves on the ICOMOS-UK Education, Training & Events (ETE) sub-committee. Evelyne has taught Archaeology and Conservation at universities in the eastern U.S.A. and Canada. She has also previously taught A-Level Archaeology, at Bradford College in West Yorkshire. Evelyne is Chair of the Prospect trade union Heritage Industry group’s Anti-racism Task Force, and led on the writing of Prospect Archaeologists Branch’s June 2020 Statement on Decolonisation and Anti-racism.
Additional information
The Zoom link will be sent out to all registrants the morning of the event and your registration will be for both the Tuesday introduction session and Wednesday workshop. The timings for the workshops are:
Tuesday 1 June from 7-8pm BST - concluded- Wednesday 2 June from 7-9pm BST - registration still open
Contact us
If you have any questions at all or require any assistance in registering or accessing this event, please contact the CIfA Events team: conference@archaeologists.net
