Thanks for the leads. I'll certainly follow them up.

Prior to this, the only reference I'd come across was to the Australian Indigenous Rights Activist & Historian, Henrietta Fourmile ("Who Owns the Past? Aborigines as Captives of the Archives" http://epress.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/whole33.pdf  presents powerful & global-wide reasons for why we need more Archivists from BAME backgrounds. (cf. ATSILIRN & its protocols http://www1.aiatsis.gov.au/atsilirn/protocols.atsilirn.asn.au/index6df0.html?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=0&Itemid=6 

Angela Allison, Coventry UK

----- Original Message -----
From: Jon Stratton <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:24:56 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: School History curriculum - A comparative consideration

 Hi Angela,
    You ask about Australia and a national curriculum.  It is my very strong suspicion that what is happening in the UK is inspired by John Howard's determination to 'correct' the history curriculum in Australia.  Here is Howard reported in Murdoch's conservative national newspaper from September last year: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/education/john-howard-revives-history-wars-in-attack-on-labor-curriculum/story-fn59nlz9-1226482959782 .  Here is another version of Howard's recent intervention: http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/10/01/the-history-curriculum-debate-back-to-the-howard-future/ .
Howard spent much time when he was prime minister campaigning for a rewriting of the Australian history curriculum to reinstate a white, triumphalist version of Australian history.  Here is an account by John Hirst, a conservative academic historian, of his involvement in this process: http://www.themonthly.com.au/official-history-australia-john-hirst-781 .  The 'left wing' view of history which emphasises the destruction of Indigenous society and gives space to minority concerns in the development of twentieth century 'white Australia' was described as 'black armband' history because it sees white settlement of Australia in a negative light rather than as a civilising force.
Here is an account from the 'left', by Robert Manne, of the history wars: http://www.themonthly.com.au/nation-reviewed-robert-manne-comment-history-wars-2119 .

You can find plenty more on the so-called history wars in Australia on the web.

Hope this is of interest,
Jon

________________________________________
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Angela Allison [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, 9 January 2013 6:47 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: School History curriculum - A comparative consideration

Do other nations have a 'National Curriculum'?
If so, to what extent are black nationals, the working class, women featured?

eg. America, Australia, South Africa, Scotland, Canada, Jamaica etc.

Angela Allison, Coventry UK