Abstract
On 5 May 2015, South Africa’s former Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga,
announced a proposed transformative policy to make history a compulsory subject through
to Grade 12. While aimed at fostering historical awareness and critical thinking, this
proposal would have significant implications for educators at both secondary and tertiary
levels. University lecturers, in particular, would face challenges adapting to increased
enrolment, diverse student backgrounds (cultural, ethnic, socio-economic and academic
differences among students) and varying levels of academic preparedness. This paper
offers insights into the broader educational and pedagogical implications of the proposed
policy shift. To achieve this, we focus on the challenges associated with managing potential
increased enrolment numbers, shifts in curriculum focus, one of the student requests
during the 2015-2016 student protest, and the need for adapting teaching methods to meet
students’ varied academic levels and interests. The research adopts a qualitative approach,
employing semi-structured interviews to capture the perceptions of six lecturers from
different universities regarding this proposed policy shift to make history a compulsory
subject in the Further Education and Training Band. Through thematic analysis, the study
identifies key patterns and insights related to the impact of making history a compulsory
subject. The research findings are viewed from two dimensions. On the one hand, there
is an opportunity for lecturers to engage a broader range of students in historical inquiry,
fostering critical thinking skills and promoting historical consciousness across disciplines.
On the other hand, concerns are raised about the strain on resources, larger class sizes and
the potential dilution of academic rigour. While broader studies on policy shifts address
resource allocation at a macro level, the urgent need for localised institutional strategies are
recommended to sustain pedagogical quality amidst rising student numbers.