Back Teaching History, Grounding Democracy

Oana GAILLARD

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"Teaching History, Grounding Democracy" draws a parallel between the institutional history of the Council of Europe, its milestones and achievements in history teaching and the major events of the 20th and 21st centuries. It also shows the efforts of the Council of Europe, the only international organisation to have run programmes in this area since 1949, to promote quality history education. More than 70 years of experience at the Council of Europe have enabled the 46 member states to bring history education into line with the Organisation's core values: democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

The exhibition presenting the work of the Council of Europe on history education will be officially presented during the 26th Standing Conference of Ministers of Education taking place in the Council of Europe on 28 and 29 September.

Agenda:

Address by Mr Bjørn BERGE, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Address by Mr Alain LAMASSOURE, Chair of the Governing Board of the Observatory on History Teaching Europe

headline Exhibition Strasbourg 28 September 2023

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History Education and the Council of Europe

The Council of Europe's work on history education is founded on the assumption that understanding the past is essential for building a shared future, for fostering European democracies and for strengthening active democratic citizenship. Our vision and motto is: Teaching History, Grounding Democracy. History teaching that is based on multiperspectivity, historical thinking and on the values of the Council of Europe can enhance students’ critical thinking skills, democratic competences and empathy – all of which are essential for generations of young citizens that value democracy. At the moment, four distinct initiatives complement each other in tackling history education in a comprehensive manner: the intergovernmental project on history education, the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe, the HISTOLAB Joint Project of the European Union and the Council of Europe, and the Remembrance of the Holocaust and Prevention of Crimes against Humanity programme. Click on any of the boxes below to learn more about each initiative.

Intergovernmental Programme on History Education

As a 70 years strong activity, Council of Europe’s intergovernmental programme on history education institutionalised the dialogue of member states on the way history should be taught. It led to standards in the field of history teaching, such as Recommendation (2001)15 on history teaching in twenty-first-century Europe.

Observatory on History Teaching in Europe

OHTE is an Enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe, whose mission is to promote quality education in order to enhance the understanding of democratic culture. It provides a clear picture of the state of history teaching in its member states, based on reliable data and facts on how history is taught, through general and thematic reports.

Visit the OHTE website >>

Transnational History Education and Co-operation Laboratory” (HISTOLAB)

HISTOLAB seeks to reinvigorate the field of history education by bringing together innovative ideas on how to improve the teaching of history. Its digital hub features a database of experts and organisations in the field of history education, an interactive calendar and bulletin board, as well as a resource hub. HISTOLAB also organises once a year the “European Innovation Days in History Education”.

Visit the Digital Hub >>

Remembrance of the Holocaust and Prevention of Crimes against Humanity

As a transversal initiative closely connected to the history of the Council of Europe and its foundation as a means to counter totalitarian ideologies after the Second World War, the Remembrance programme supports teaching about the Holocaust through the creation and publication of a number of resources that teachers may use for their teaching.

Visit the dedicated website >>