Breaking barriers of post-secondary syllabi: on the democratic benefits of covering gender and cultural diversity issues in the advanced level syllabi of English and History

Abstract

This paper investigates to what extent the subject content, texts and objectives set for English and history A-level 2020 Matsec syllabi reflect gender equality and cultural diversity. It also suggests ways in which such syllabi can become more inclusive in the future. This research is important because it sheds light on gender and cultural mainstreaming in education by showing whether the new syllabi are responding to the values of Maltese society based on the need for inclusion and the acceptance of diversity. Students need to make connections between what they study and everyday life by gaining a sense of affirmation about themselves and their culture (Colby & Lyon, 2004, pp.24-28). A recently-published report for the Maltese Ministry for Education and Employment titled The Working Group on the Future of Post-Secondary Education (2017) remarks that there is a need for knowledge not to be restricted by gender, race or culture, and that equality, inclusion and respect for diversity should be the foundation that unifies learning across the curriculum (p.123). This research shows that there is a problem of gender and cultural discrimination within both the English and history A-level syllabi, but this can be eliminated if new subject content, texts and objectives are added to the syllabi. Literary texts written by Black and Asian poets and novelists should be introduced into the English syllabus, to enable students to learn about cultural diversity. For the syllabus to fully embrace gender equality in the syllabus, a play by an early female dramatist should be added. The history A-level syllabus requires new subject matter that features women from a local and global perspective. Moreover, new learning outcomes should be added to acknowledge the need for students to identify constructions of gender roles and representations of culture in set texts in the English syllabus. In this history syllabus, there needs to be a learning outcome related to women’s suffrage. This paper suggests that if these changes are implemented, the syllabi will have the potential to break gender and cultural barriers in post-secondary education in Malta.