Lesson plans launched to teach slavery in Scottish schools

Teachers, educators and curriculum experts in Scotland have revealed a set of lesson plans and guidelines for teaching slavery in Scottish schools. 

History teachers have helped devise the lessons themselves in a project which has brought together educators and university academics to share their knowledge and research about the trade in enslaved African people. 

The project is a partnership between the University of Stirling, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow, and is funded by the Scottish Government. 

The launch of the Teaching Slavery in Scotland (TSS) website follows a study led by curriculum experts at the University of Stirling that found Scottish schools are lacking when it comes to teaching black and minority ethnic history. Less than two-thirds of Scottish secondary schools taught at least one history lesson about the transatlantic slave trade, compared to 99% of English secondary schools, the research found. 

The study emphasised the need in Scotland for more collaboration between schools and among teachers when it comes to curriculum making. 

The launch of the TSS website coincides with Black History Month. The site’s educational resources draw a line between the historic slave trade and contemporary racism. 

Dr Joseph Smith, Lecturer in Education at the University of Stirling and a former history teacher, said: “Our history teachers in Scotland see the importance of teaching slavery, and its significance today. TSS is a culmination of four years of work and it is much needed. 

“Because we have an open curriculum in Scotland, teachers are responsible for the topics they teach. For too long we’ve assumed teachers can do that, despite the restraints on their time. TSS is proof of how valuable networking and collaboration can be in supporting teachers, and in turn strengthening our school curricula.” 

More than 50 teacher participants and academics will gather on October 30 in Edinburgh for a launch event for TSS, with guest speakers historian Catherine Hall and playwright Catherine Bisset.