Kids - no prehistory at school unless you're lucky to have some on your doorstep
Submitted by Andy B on Wednesday, 23 March 2005 Page Views: 5877
DiscoveriesCountry: England Here's a nice happy story from Wiltshire that exposes the sad truth about the English National Curriculum. Prehistory is not taught in English Primary schools (Key Stage 2, age 7-11) unless you have some prehistory locally that you can hang it on, as in the story below from Wiltshire. In this case it's 'Local Studies'. Learning about the wider picture, or anywhere else in the country - forget it. More children in the USA seem to learn about Stonehenge at school than in England, judging by the questions in our e-mailbag.Teaching British children archaeology
A Decade ago they would not have known what the word meant, but programmes such as Time Team have filled today's youngsters with enthusiasm. Wiltshire (England) children as young as five will soon be studying archaeology as part of their school curriculum - and the county's world-famous landmark, Stonehenge, will help them.
The Government says Key Stage 2 pupils can go back as far as the Egyptians to learn about history, and in Wiltshire many schools have decided to make use of the ancient treasures on their own doorstep. 22 teachers from around the county took part in a day-long session at Salisbury Museum and were given ideas on how to teach the wonders and mysteries of Stonehenge and archaeology in general.
Children will also learn about the King and Prince of Stonehenge, who were laid to rest with their possessions, including fabulous gold earrings or hair clasps, 4,300 years ago. Their discovery near the stone circle at Boscombe Down three years ago was hailed as one of the most important finds of recent decades. Field trips to Salisbury and other Wiltshire museums are also likely, and children in other parts of the county may focus on sites nearer their schools, such as the Avebury circle.
Amanda Feather, Stonehenge World Heritage Site educational co-ordinator, said: "Children these days are knowledgeable about techniques they have seen on TV and very interested in the whole concept of uncovering the past. They like the idea of becoming detectives and trying to solve the mysteries of the past. Many of them want to be archaeologists." Last year a Stonehenge Scheme of Work was trialed at Amesbury primary school to support the teachers' use of Stonehenge in their lessons. Ms Feather said: "This year we are launching the initiative to support all schools in Wiltshire."
Source: Wester Daily Press (18 March 2005) with thanks to Stone Pages News
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