Geerte Savenije, researcher at the University of Amsterdam, believes it to be the second. ‘A diverse class with wide-ranging motives is more approachable than an indifferent class. Pupils may not be thinking about topics such as slavery or LGBTQI, but in five years, they’ll be entering a society where these are important topics of debate. By discussing sensitive topics within the safety of the classroom, children can interrogate their own views.’

What is a sensitive topic?

Geerte Savenije has been investigating the discussion of sensitive topics in class for years. ‘When it comes to History classes, a topic becomes sensitive when pupils identify strongly with it. You can see this with slavery, for example. Some pupils have not yet attained their desired place in society, which they blame on the past. Others are wondering the opposite: did my family benefit from slavery?’ While training teachers at the Research Institute for Child Development & Education (RICDE), Savenije noticed that teachers struggle with these identity questions. She also noted that the composition of the group has an impact on whether a topic is considered sensitive or not. ‘In some classrooms, the conflict in the Middle East is a sensitive topic, while in others discussing evolution is controversial.’

Reasoning based on the past

The ethical dimension, meaning the standards and values of children, is also important when discussing sensitive topics. ‘This consists of two important steps,’ Savenije explains. ‘First, pupils learn to reason on the basis of the standards and values of the time. For example, which different moral positions were there back then? How did people think about it at the time? It’s difficult, because children now know that slavery is bad, so they look at events in history from their own perspective. What does that mean for your current intentions? It’s also about the willingness to act differently.’

Social media

Since the rise of social media, groups with different standards and values have been clashing more and more. On platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, there are intense discussions on sensitive topics such as Black Pete, gender equality and discrimination. For example, opponents of the rainbow stairs in Winterswijk started an online petition opposing the initiative. When asked whether social media affect the discussion of sensitive topics in class, Savenije is unequivocal: ‘On social media, everything blows up quickly because everything can be said anonymously. At school, you share a bond with your classmates. Moreover, there’s a teacher who can guide the discussion and keep it on track. Social media also affect the information pupils consume outside of school, something they obviously take with them into the classroom.’

Distorted picture

Geerte discovered that initiatives such as the rainbow stairs in Winterswijk also present a distorted picture. ‘In my research, I’ve noted sensitivity among teachers, but no situations where pupils or teachers felt unsafe. Some teachers have indicated that they find it difficult to approach sensitive topics and that they avoid these discussions. In the media, the emphasis is on this group, while my research indicates that most teachers actively seek out these discussions and ensure that pupils can express their views. There are also strong pupil alliances for LGBTQI+ topics in schools that don‘t devote much attention to them.’

Fostering understanding

These days, we know a lot about methods to discuss sensitive topics, but it remains important that we foster understanding among pupils. ‘By using in-depth exercises on standards, values, perspectives and content, you can make sure that pupils really learn something. Teachers find this difficult, but pupils really need this. This will be the challenge for researchers in the coming period.

Bibliography

• Bartelds, H., Savenije, G.M. & Van Boxtel, C.A.M. (2022). Using eyewitnesses to promote students' understanding of empathy in the history classroom, The Journal of Social Studies Research.
• Klijnstra, T., Stoel, G.L., Ruijs, G.J.F., Savenije, G.M. & Van Boxtel, C.A.M. (2022). Toward a framework for assessing the quality of students’ social scientific reasoning, Theory & Research in Social Education, 51(2), 173-200. 
• Savenije, G.M., Wansink, B. & Logtenberg, A. (2022). Dutch history teachers' perceptions of teaching the topic of Islam while balancing distance and proximity, Teacher and Teacher Education, 112. 
• De Bruijn, P. & Savenije, G.M. (2022). Historische inleving in het museum, HERMES: Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis, 26(1), 32-36.