Classical Civilisation and Ancient History in British Secondary Education - by Edith Hall & Arlene Holmes-Henderson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An Open Access edition will be available on publication on the Liverpool University Press website, thanks to funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

In the UK A-Levels and GCSEs in Classical Civilisation and Ancient History offer exciting avenues through which to access the cultures of people who spoke ancient Greek and Latin, and their neighbours, across the ancient Mediterranean and Black Sea worlds. They are inherently interdisciplinary, offering an outstanding opportunity to study a civilisation in the round, using diverse sources from literary and philosophical texts to legal documents, inscriptions, art, architecture and archaeology. Yet many people are either unaware of the existence of these courses, or do not understand their contents. This unprecedented study, by two Classics Professors at the University of Durham with extensive experience of teaching in schools and HEIs, charts the subjects' historical development and emergence in their current form since the mid-20th century, explaining and illustrating their contents. It describes the skills and competencies that they confer, which are valued by university admissions offices and employers alike. It presents the results of interviews with several significant participants in the story of these classical subjects and of questionnaires filled in by many additional teachers and students. It also offers practical advice on how to introduce Classical Civilisation and/or Ancient History at secondary level, with guides to bibliographical and other resources.

Review Quotes

'This book is the first of its kind to seriously take notice of the development of the school curriculum subject of Classical Studies ...There's nothing comparable.' - Dr Steven Hunt, University of Cambridge

"The book makes a substantial contribution to the history of classics education in its exclusive focus on non-linguistic classics which have often been overlooked in favour of charting the fortunes of Greek and Latin. One of its key strengths is that it offers a more personal history, identifying key players alongside pivotal moments, and drawing on personal testimonies. This not only makes for a more engaging read, but a more comprehensive picture of the forces that have shaped the classics education landscape.

What makes it even more original, is the attention it gives not just to the history of teaching Classical Civilisation and Ancient History, but to its present and future." - Prof. Sharon Marshall, University of Exeter