The History Boys:Education is?

EDUC1080 Group Presentation Group 1

Content

Part 1 Objectives

Part 2 Plot summary

Part 3 General discussion

Part 4 Characters analysis

Part 5 Messages from the film

Part 6 Situation in Hong Kong?

Part 7 Conclusion

Objectives• To analyse the educational philosophies in the

film• To relate to nowadays HK society• To rethink the aim of education

Plot summary

• (Play)Trailer of History Boys

“The History Boys” is about a boys’ school in the north of

England in 1980s. Students are returning to class to prepare for

winter entrance examinations to universities.

The boys are passing their A-Levels exam with brilliant results and

their sights are set on the prestigious institutions which are Oxford

and Cambridge.

Hector sets to prepare the boys with the General Studies course.

The headmaster hires Irwin to give some extra polish to the boys and

teach them how to succeed on the entrance examination.

Irwin focuses the boy entirely on the exam and teach them

techniques which allow them to stand out of the crowd in the

exam. While, Hector’s lessons are in preparation for life.

Hector is caught fondling one of the boys. The headmaster agrees to

allow Hector to finish the term unless he promises to leave silently

and shares some of his class time with Irwin.

The boys take their entrance examinations for Oxford and Cambridge and all of them are granted admission. Hector gives Irwin a lift and the car accident kills Hector.

The boys have their own accomplishments in life. Hector leaves us with a plea “Pass it on, boys…Pass it on.” and the play ends.

General Discussion

Who are the history boys?

• (Play)Beginning of History Boys

Who are they?

• Boys from Sheffield (a not very rich place)• 8 Elites of the school• Aimed (by Principal) to enter Oxbridge

Extra term for preparationMeaning?

• Are they specially taught for promoting to higher education and elite roles?Yes

What gets taught?

• History knowledge (subject matter)• General studies• Exam and interview strategies– Impress Oxbridge interviewers

Things taught are for:• Preparing them to be the dominant people in

society

Character analysis

Profile – The principal & P.E Teacher

• Principal of the Boy’s Grammar School In Sheffield

• Acid to the students and teachers

• Conservative

• The P.E teacher , Wilkes• Little bit racist• Religious• Strict to students

Their role in education

The Principal

• Business-minded– It’s a business!

• Believed only outcome– Utilitarianism

P.E. Teacher

• One who imposes– requires all the

students to have P.E lesson (no matter they get a doctor’s note)

The Principal – his perspective?

• Principal asking the boys summer jobs

P.E. Teacher – his perspective?

• (Play)Boys having P.E. Lesson

Their aim of education

PrincipalA To gain reputation for the

school

B To help students to acquire knowledge

C To help student reach for perfection and be a talent in the society

P.E. TeacherA To let the students become

good athletes

B To develop each individual's abilities in order to better serve higher power

C To fulfill his duty

Philosophical perspectives

Pragmatism• Principal : – Hire Mr. Irwin as provisional teacher – Demand the students have extra elite class– Ask Hector to put the date of retirement forward– Keep asking of the students progress , unlike the

teaching method of Hector– Resentment on student’s part-time job

* All these are for pushing students to get into great universities-> have fame

Philosophical perspective

PE TeacherIdealism• Human growth is a process of spiritual

unfolding of innate power• Goal: to seek higher ideals

• Failure of the fat students disappointment of himself as well as god

What is Mrs. Lintott’s belief? Raise an example from this clip

• (Play)Boys having Lintott’s History Class

Profile – Mrs. Lintott

• The only female teacher• Motherly caring– For their knowledge– For their future

• Knowledgeable &• Respectful– Of her students’

background

Her role in education

• To impose knowledge– Students will be able to

master history when they recite it

• Know all facts– Even backwards

“Fact,fact,fact.”

Her aim of education

• What do you think about Mrs. Lintott?– Only subject matter?– Or also future path?

• She is a teacher cares:– Academic success– Career future– How the students feel

What is her philosophical perspective?

Realism• Emphasises on the subject matter of the world• Content based– With criteria

• Mastery of facts through recitation• Character developed – through training in the rules of conduct

Irwin – What is his focus?

• Boys and Irwin discussing The First World War

Profile – Irwin

• Hired for exam

• Well-educated (?)

• Non-conservative

His role in education

• For exam– Equip students with skills

to take the exam

• Facilitator– Seldom teaches

knowledge. Instead urges students to think

His aim of education

• What do you think about Irwin?– Is knowledge important?– Or just the exam?

• He cares:– Essay skills– Exam results

What is his philosophical perspective?

Pragmatic• Emphasises essay skills

• Skills based

• Exam-oriented

Hector – What and how does he teach?

• (Play)Hector having Poetry discussion with Boys

Profile – Hector

• Knowledgeable

• Poetry-loving

• Non-conservative

His role in education

• Life teacher– Teach poems of

immense value

• Facilitator– Utilises different

methods to facilitate students’ learning

His aim of education

• What do you think about Hector?– Is exam his focus?–What does he teach?

• He cares:–Knowledge for life– Students’ feelings

What is his philosophical perspective?

Idealist• Attempts to teach many great poems

• Hopes students to learn for life- “All knowledge is precious, whether or not it

serves the slightest human use."

What is his philosophical perspective?

Post-modernist• Non-conservative teaching methods

- e.g. roleplay

• Facilitator

Irwin vs HectorHomosexual• open vs hidden

• Consequences faced

Irwin vs HectorFate• Hector (idealism) dead vs• Irwin (Pragmaticsm) alive

Messages from the film?

In Hector’s classroom

• Good use of teaching strategy: role playing

• Encourage students

• Creativity↑

• Learning via playing a part vicarious feeling

with the poet

• Students’ comments : enrich their lives

In Irwin’s classroom

• Exam oriented

• Deny the use of role playing to learn

• Facts and description as the exam strategy in

History examination

• Student’ comments: useful (as the A-level is

coming)

HectorPostmodernism• Learn from past

intellectuals• Human

constructions based on experience

• Question the rules

IrwinPragmatism• Knowledge is not

certain• Truth is not

important• Cater for exam– Their answers’ styles

Philosophical beliefs

Hector• Drama, Poetry, French• NOT related to exam

syllabus• Learn knowledge for life

Irwin• Essays discussion• Open-ended• Nothing is absolutely

correct• Encourage students to

think reversely– for impressing the

interviewer

Is Irwin a better teacher?

Irwin VS Hector

• From the treatment of the teachers,

– e.g. the conflicts between teachers' philosophies,

the ending of some dominant teachers

• The film’s sending a message:

– Whether learning is for life or passing exams?

Irwin VS Hector

• Hector understand life better humanism• Irwin serve the interest of examiner

• Society: exam-oriented Irwin is preferred

Discussion: Which one do you PREFFER?

Which philosophy should be adopted in education field?

Furthermore

• An extra semester training Oxford/

Cambridge

• Principal: exam brings success—reputation,

better occupation, etc

Discussion

• Oxford/Cambridge = success?

• Different interests Dry cleaner, teacher, builder…..

• What is success/happiness?

Meritocratic society?

• Boys attended an interview• Meritocracy: – students are selected according to their

performance in interviews• Rudge:– has a place due to a family connection

• Merit-base?• Connection-base?• Implication?

Implication• Academic excellence is not the only path for

people to be successful• Connection matters • Only one way to be success?

Prestigious career?• All of them succeed – in gaining a place in Ox/bridge

• entering a variety of careers

• As a graduate of Oxford or Cambridge, does it mean that your future career must be some very prestigious jobs?– (deemed prestigious by your society)

Student Job

Akthar headmaster

Crowther magistrate

Timms owner of a dry cleaning chain

Dakin tax lawyer

Lockwood entered the army, died at the age of 28

Rudge builder

Scripps journalist

Posner teacher

Sexual Orientation

• Frequently mentioned: Homosexuality• Homosexual: – Hector, Irwin, 2 of the teachers– Dakin, Posner, 2 of the students

Discussion

• Do you think there is any message behind the fact that ‘Hector and Irwin, two of the teachers, are homosexual’ in the movie?

• Think about: Accept/ Reject?• Only the teenagers being homosexual:

teenage phrase• But teachers as well something else?

Discussion

• How students see homosexual teachers?– Got used to them

• How the principal sees homosexual teachers?– NO WAY!

• How Hector and Irwin end up in the movie?– Hector died– Irwin lost his memory

• Implications?

Look back at our education system

Relating to HK situation

1. Do the students in The History Boys share anything common with us?

2. What are the possible problems for students just to memorize all the facts for exam?

3. In Hong Kong, any subject(s) does not merely require students to memorize facts for exam?

4. Should we change anything? Question it?

Conclusion

Learn for life or

Learn how to pass a test?

Hector The headmaster and Irwin

- To equip and guide the boys for life

Example: He uses various forms of arts to back up his points and notes.

- How to pass the entrance examination

Example: Not to follow the historical facts but to polish the answer to fit for the examination.

Conclusion – message in film

Learn for life Encourage students to think out of the box. Turn the short term memory to be life-long.

Learn how to pass the test Get the chance to receive tertiary education A way to obtain upward mobility

What truly is most practical in our own educational system?

Conclusion – our opinion

• Strike a balance between learn for life and learn how to pass the examination.

• There is not definite right and wrong approach of educational philosophy.

Deepen the well of the students

Prepare the students for exams