Studies of Change: an Asian Narrative

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Young people today are the subject of a multitude of changes, both past and present, which have rapidly and increasingly through the past few centuries revolutionized and globalized the world around them. Familiarizing our students as global citizens with concepts of change and continuity, fundamental to the study and understanding of our history, is of the utmost importance in our evolving society. Theme thirteen in the Queensland Studies Authority’s (QSA) 2004 senior modern history syllabus, Studies of Change, aims to familiarize students with the concepts of continuity and change. According to the QSA, the purpose of this theme is that “students will understand that continuity and change are fundamental concepts of historical studies. They will understand the historical origins and continuing influence of some of the major changes of the 20th century, and the ways in which these major changes have shaped the lives of ordinary people, at local and global levels” (QSA, 2004, p.40). For teachers of modern history, this is quite a useful theme to use when engaging their students in historical studies of eras of revolution, economic growth, globalization, technological advancement and far more.

In 2008, the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) released a document entitled “The Melbourne Declaration on Educational goals for young Australians”. The declaration outlines a number of areas on which education must focus, including the need to teach students about Asia. According to the MCEECDYA (2008), “India, China and other Asian nations are growing and their influence on the world is increasing. Australians need to become ‘Asia literate’, engaging and building strong relationships...

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