Enseignement de l'Histoire

Beyond the textbook - Principles and values

Taking changes into account

The activities of the History teaching division of the Council of Europe not only reflect the historical changes that impacted Europe and the European countries in the last fifty years, but also the main social changes and the developments that gradually took place in education.

Sociological changes

Despite different contexts, all member states are faced with similar social, economic, political and cultural issues and problems.

To name a few:

a rapid development of ICT
globalisation or an increased interconnectedness and interdependence at political, economic and cultural levels, which also raises the issue of the local vs. the global, the regional and the international;
population movements within and across national boundaries;
a shift from the collective to the individuals with more emphasis on individual rights and actions. This goes hand in hand with the redefinition of collective identities and the emergence of new forms of community and public action;
informal education and life-long learning, the awareness that a great part of learning takes place outside formal school systems, and is not restricted to a definite period in one's life.

Changes in education

It is also necessary to keep in mind the main developments that took place in education and in particular the introduction of the learner-centred methodology which had major impact on all aspects of learning, teaching and teaching structures.

[To the main phases of the programme over the years]