Abstract

WASSERMANN, Johan; MAPOSA, Marshall  and  MHLONGO, Daniel. "If I choose history it is likely that I won't be able to leave for the cities to get a job": Rural learners and the choosing of history as a subject. Journal of Education [online]. 2018, n.73, pp.55-68. ISSN 2520-9868.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i73a04.

In this paper we aim to understand and explain why rural learners in a South African school did not choose history as a school subject in Grade 10. Using a pen-and-paper test and focus group interviews we probed the views of 15-year-old rural learners who did not choose history. What the data revealed was that mathematics, physical science, and commercial subjects, rather than history were favoured. The reasons for this centred on taking subjects that were viewed as leading potentially to decent jobs or funding to study and therefore being advantageous to the future prospects of the learners in an urban setting. This mind-set was reinforced by teachers, parents, older siblings, the state, and the formal economy. In the process, history was seen to be the preserve of learners who could not cope with mathematics, physical science, and commercial subjects and were therefore not worthy of urbanisation and upward mobility. In short, studying history was equated with negative notions of rurality and choosing to study it was seen as likely to result in not making it to the better life that cities offered. However, with some irony, studying history was seen to be an urban endeavour which implied that at some time in the future, once the learners were urbanised and economically better off, the subject could possibly be studied again.

Keywords : rurality; history; democracy; city; urban; sustainable education.

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