Young Historians

Recording for a history project, Asta Centre, West Silvertown

The history of childhood and the promotion of historical understanding among young people were among Raphael Samuel’s leading concerns. He wrote widely on these matters, and in the 1980s he worked with teachers, school students, academic historians and policy-makers to influence the shape and status of History in the national curriculum.

The RSHC continues this work today. In 2006, we established the RSHC History & Schools Working Group composed of university and community historians, history teachers, and the Education Manager of the Historical Association. This group has worked closely with students from three London secondary schools, and aims now to expand this student involvement through several new initiatives. (Any History teacher interested in joining the group is encouraged to contact our administrator). In 2008 the Centre held an event, ‘Bad Kids? The Politics of Childhood, Past and Present’ at which school students, historians, educationalists and policy-makers discussed the difficulties faced by children over the last two centuries.

Since then the Centre has developed several projects focused on involving young people in the adventure of historical research and encouraging the next generation of historians. Click on the project names to the left for more details.