By Alex McAuley
In what must be a first for the Classical Association, two
CA Officers, Arlene Holmes-Henderson and Alex McAuley, have each published a
contribution to the volume Our Mythical Education, edited by Lisa
Maurice.
The volume is part of the ERC-funded Our Mythical Childhood project, and examines the reception and use of ancient myths in formal education in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries across a wide variety of geographical case studies.
Arlene Holmes-Henderson’s chapter ‘Developing Multiliteracies through Classical Mythology in British Classrooms’ examines how creative and innovative teaching of classical mythology can act as a medium through which to enhance literacy. Two case studies from British primary and secondary schools demonstrate how the study of mythology contributes to pupils’ information literacy, cultural literacy and critical literacy skills.
Alex McAuley’s contribution, ‘Reconciling Catholicism with the Classics: Mythology in French Canadian Catholic Education’ considers the tension between the teaching of mythology and religion in Catholic schools in French Canada, and examines how the teaching of pre-Christian Graeco-Roman mythology fit into evolving narratives of French Canadian identity.
The volume has recently been published by the University of Warsaw Press, and is available to download open-access via this link. This research project will also soon be publishing the OurMythical Education Database, which will collate information and resources on the teaching of Classical Mythology for educators and the general public.
Alex McAuley is a Senior Lecturer in Hellenistic History at Cardiff University
