The History of Education in Modern Britain and Empire, 5 op

This seminar will introduce students to the main themes in the history of education, with a geographical focus on Britain and (its former) Empire in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As points of comparison, we will also examine work on other European, North American, colonial and post-colonial contexts. Topics include: informal and popular education; the introduction of compulsory education, reform and government intervention; changing pedagogical methods and content in line with changing views on nation and empire, on gender, and on childhood itself; the experiences of teachers and students from history-of-emotions and history-of-experiences perspectives; the use of non-textual sources as evidence; types of schools, their significance and the experiences of their students - from elite public schools to carceral institutions for the young, including residential “schools” for indigenous children in Canada and elsewhere.

Our primary mode of learning in this course will be discussion based. Weekly assigned readings will form the core of our discussions. We will also closely examine primary sources during class time through group work and presentations. Knowledge of how to analyse historical sources (both primary and secondary) is required, as is preparation and willingness to discuss these sources in class. The language of reading materials and discussions is English.