Heritage

Sandy Grant | Thursday October 18, 2012 00:00

Teachers, as ever in such meetings, were by report, encouraged to continually update themselves on the standard historical scenarios in Livingstone, the Falls and so on.  My sympathies, however, will always be with the teachers who, as ever, are not at all helped by either the establishment or the system (being one and the same) which is still unable to see anything of either interest or importance in this country's history. What then are the teachers supposed to do?

When I arrived in this country, I taught history and civics voluntarily and part time at the old Molefi Junior Secondary School using the prescribed text book, the Junior Certificate History by de Villiers, Gronum and Muller which was probably the worst text book being used by any country in the then Third world.  It had gone through multiple re-prints, having been first published in South Africa, of course, in something like 1933. No one in the Protectorate administration, including the notable Director of Education, H.J.E. Dumbrell, had seen anything wrong with it or, perhaps, had been unable to have it dumped.

I did my best, contributing as critical review as I could manage in the newly produced Teacher, the Teachers Union new initiative. It is well worth having a look at the listed Executive President, P.M. Matoane, General Secretary, Vice President, G. Kgomanyane, General Secretary, K.G. Kgoroba, Treasurer, G.N. Kgotlana, Chairman Education Committee, J. Moilwa, Editor, J.R. Swartland, Organiser South, J.B. Gabaake,  Organiser North, R.N. Mpabanga.  It is also worth taking a look at some of this ancient material and  consider for instance M.L.A Kgasai's article, It is very difficult to understand the attitude of society towards a teacher. But I am now totally out of touch with the history of this country that is or is not taught in schools but assume that our progress in this respect in the last 40 years or so has been exceedingly slow even though major efforts have been made.

The Campbell/Tlou history should have helped, as should the disregarded, but nevertheless heroic efforts of the NGO district museums. But are things going in a circle? By report again, Professor Kanduza advised those who attended to join the History Society.  Is this a new initiative? Years ago, a few of us; Leonard Ngcongo, Themba Vanqa and myself established such a Society which did take some first useful initiatives.

When the Botswana Society was established, however, it was agreed that the one should be merged into the other, the understanding being then that specialist interests and concerns would be better represented in a broader based organisation. And I believe, that this understanding has worked out reasonably well. But today, is there another attempt to establish a History Society and, if so, may we be given the details?  All of us who have an interest in local history, professional or academic, will wish it well, but it will be a tough battle.