The importance of teaching the national histories of other countries is one of the key issues to be discussed this week at a top-level Council of Europe conference in Vienna.
At a time when many European countries are scaling down or threatening to cut the teaching of European history, around 100 education experts, academics and professionals from the majority of European countries will take part in the Conference: Shared histories for a Europe without dividing lines.
They will discuss how to ensure that national curricula and teacher training programmes across the continent cover the national histories of other European countries as well as focusing on aspects of history that have had an impact across Europe – its common heritage.
To be held from 9-10 April 2014 at Vienna University in the framework of the Austrian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the conference will promote and take forward the results of the Organisation's four-year, inter-governmental project: ‘Sharing histories for a Europe without dividing lines' (2010-2014).
In particular, participants will discuss the future use of a new, inter-active e-book on shared histories, to be launched on 5 May. (more...)