Samantha Masters (University of Stellenbosch)
Is Classics ‘special’? No, but it provides endless opportunities to think about a range of contemporary issues. This has been my approach in teaching in South Africa where there has for many decades been pressure on Classics departments to justify their existence. I have never taught Classics in a ‘traditional’ way. I continuously ask myself whether I can justify what I do and how I teach. If my answer ever becomes no, then I will stop. Our department is an Ancient Studies Department and our study/teaching includes Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Ancient Cultures (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Nubia, the ancient Mediterranean and others). Our syllabus is flexible. Our emphasis is not on content per se, but on approaches. The Department was born of the amalgamation of Greek, Latin, Hebrew and ‘Near Eastern’ Studies. We have a really mixed group of students, many still burdened with the legacy of the apartheid education system through an unequal school system. There are huge inequalities in the quality of school education and therefore the learners’ preparedness is variable. We therefore have to take this very seriously in our teaching. With COVID these problems have been compounded as students have a range of extra issues, such as being at home where there is little or no connectivity, and unequal access to resources. Our department has a project which is student-run, and which brings high school learners from schools around the campus to expose them to the university environment in a friendly way. Many of these learners may not have thought of going to university which looms large in their minds. However, through Ancient Studies classes, taught by passionate and friendly postgrads, with lunch, and transport provided, these students see the possibility in themselves. They learn some Latin and Ancient History, but the content, again, is not as important as the approach and the result. Again, Classics is not inherently special here, but I think our approach is actually liberating and the opposite from how Classics could be seen traditionally.