1. The national Department of Education, in partnership with South African History Online, is inviting all schools to participate in the National Schools' Oral History Competition, the Nkosi Albert Luthuli Young Historians' Award, which was introduced in 2005. This competition will form part of the Department's participation in the commemoration of significant historical events.
2. It is also part of the Department's ongoing initiative to encourage all learners to develop an understanding of the broad history of South Africa and of the richness of the histories of their local communities. It is also an opportunity for young learners to gain experience in developing important research skills.
3. The competition is open to all learners from Grade 8 to Grade 11 and all History and Social Sciences educators from secondary schools.
4. Competition for Learners
4.1 Learners will be required to research and prepare a presentation or a documentary film or video on one of the following topics:

Our unsung heroes: Investigate the life of a leader of your community, showing through oral history research how the individual made a difference to your community

or

Young people who have contributed to our communities and society

or

Steve Bantu Biko/ OR Tambo/ Albert Luthuli/ Robert Sobukwe: Investigate the impact of the life and death of any one of these heroes of our people on members of your family and community

or

Investigate an example of local community struggle in your community against apartheid, in which the community came together to demonstrate their opposition to some apartheid government action that directly affected the local community, e.g. the Alexandra Bus Boycotts culminating in the famous bus boycott under the slogan 'Azikhwelwa'. Alexandra residents walked to and from Alexandra to work along Louis Botha Avenue, Johannesburg, a trip that often was 15 to 30 km. The boycott lasted for 180 days

or

Investigate a family history that has its roots in slavery
4.2 Please note the following:
  • The project must be based on oral history research.
  • Learners should be assisted in their choice of persons to be interviewed. Learners should be strongly guided to choose a person(s) from their local community.
  • Adjudication will be weighted in terms of the quality of research, rather than the mode of presentation.
  • The presentation may be in any of the official languages.
5. Competition for Educators
5.1 Educators entering the competition will be required to submit a work plan on how they had planned and set up the oral history project in the classroom.
5.2 Educators will be required to formally present their portfolios to a panel of adjudicators and must be prepared for a panel discussion on the portfolio.
5.3 Educators should include the following in a portfolio for the competition:
  • How the oral history project was introduced in the classroom
  • What explanation was given to learners about choosing and approaching possible interviewees, preparing for and conducting interviews and using the interview as evidence to reach conclusions about the contribution of that individual
  • What interventions the educator made in assisting learners to complete the project
  • What the teacher felt the learners gained from doing an oral history investigation
6. Adjudication
6.1 Adjudication will take place at a provincial level in August 2007 and at a national level in September 2007 at a national event.
6.2 Panels of adjudicators comprising historians and heritage workers will be appointed for the provincial and national adjudications.
7. The National Event
7.1 Ten learners from secondary schools in each province will be selected as the Nkosi Albert Luthuli Young Historians to represent the province at a national event in KwaZulu-Natal in September 2007. Learners will be expected to give an oral presentation of their research and have a hard copy of their research essay available for adjudicators.
7.2 Two educators from each province will be selected to the national event in KwaZulu-Natal in September 2007. Educators will be expected to present their work plans to a panel of adjudicators.
8. Criteria for learner adjudication are attached.
9. Should your school wish to enter the competition, please complete the registration form and fax or email it to the GET/FET Social Sciences or History Curriculum Adviser at your EMDC who will provide further information about the adjudication process.


SIGNED: D.R. SHEPHERD
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2007:06:05

Criteria for learners  (size: 22 KB)
Registration form  (size: 5 KB)