Purpose Establishing a suitable programme of studies through a series of readers was a key objective of the national system of education in Ireland from the 1830s. The purpose of this paper is to analyse representations within these readers across three domains: Ireland, the British Empire and the wider world. Design/methodology/approach The article employs a process of document analysis on the five core readers produced by the National Board in Ireland, exploring both deliberate and inadvertent references to representations of Ireland, the British Empire and the wider world. Findings The readers developed by the National Board were imbued with both overt and covert messages with a view to shaping and moulding individual and collective social conduct and identity. The differential representations within the readers were underpinned by a hierarchy of idealisation, identity and ideology supported by broad stereotypes, with the civilisation and superiority of the British Empire symbolising the pinnacle of aspiration. While the readers achieved a virtual monopoly in Irish schools, they were ultimately unsuccessful in their core aim of imbuing Irish children with an imperial identity. Originality/value Original insights are revealed by simultaneously exploring these three domains of representation, whereby the child is provided with a mirror for the self in terms of role, standing, station and ambition in light of wider characterisations of Britain and the wider world. The import of the readers is accentuated given their widespread use and adaptation across the British Empire in the mid-19th century.

Purpose This article aims to analyse Italian governmental policies on primary school history textbooks between 1923 and 1928, positioning them within the broader international discourse on cosmopolitan history teaching post-First World War. It investigates how an initial focus on pedagogical quality under the Gentile reform progressively shifted, with the Fascist regime transforming textbook selection into a tool for nationalist and ideological indoctrination. The study highlights Italy’s divergence from internationalist ideals and the co-option of educational quality control mechanisms for political ends. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a historical analysis, examining primary sources such as Italian governmental decrees and reports from the Central Textbook Examination Commissions. It also integrates Italy’s engagement with international forums, including the League of Nations, the Third International Congress of Moral Education, the Carnegie Endowment’s investigation, and the 1928 Report on Nationalism in History Textbooks. The methodology involves comparing Italian policy developments with international initiatives to reveal their contrasting trajectories regarding history education. Findings The findings reveal that while early Fascist educational reforms initially emphasised pedagogical quality, the regime swiftly instrumentalised textbook selection and approval processes to propagate nationalist and Fascist ideology. Italy increasingly diverged from international efforts advocating for cosmopolitan and peaceful history teaching, exemplified by critical reports from Italian textbook commissions contrasting with international ideals. This culminated in the adoption of state-mandated textbooks, ensuring complete ideological conformity and demonstrating the regime’s co-option of educational control. Research limitations/implications A limitation is the specific focus on primary school history textbooks and a defined timeframe (1923–1928), which may limit broader generalisations about the entire Italian education system or longer historical periods. Future research could extend this analysis to secondary education or examine the long-term impact of these policies. The implications include highlighting how political shifts can rapidly commandeer educational systems, underscoring the constant need for vigilance against ideological manipulation in curriculum development. Practical implications This research offers practical insights for contemporary educational policymakers and curriculum developers. It demonstrates the critical importance of safeguarding educational autonomy and pedagogical integrity against political interference. Understanding historical instances where education was co-opted for ideological purposes can inform strategies to ensure that history teaching fosters critical thinking, balanced perspectives, and international understanding rather than narrow nationalism or partisan indoctrination. It reinforces the need for transparent and academically driven textbook review processes. Social implications The article underscores the profound social implications of history education, particularly its capacity to shape national identity and inter-group relations. The Fascist regime’s use of textbooks to instil nationalist and militaristic values showcases how education can be leveraged to foster division and prejudice. Conversely, the international efforts for cosmopolitan history teaching highlight education’s potential to promote peace, solidarity and mutual understanding among diverse populations, emphasising its crucial role in societal cohesion and global citizenship. Originality/value The originality of this article lies in its dual focus: it reconstructs the internal evolution of Italian educational policies – moving from the pedagogical concerns of the Gentile Reform to Fascist ideological indoctrination – while simultaneously placing these events within the broader international debate on 'cosmopolitan' history teaching. By analyzing the reports of the Central Textbook Examination Commissions alongside the activities of international bodies like the Carnegie Endowment and the Foreningen Norden, the study reveals how the Fascist regime strategically co-opted quality-control mechanisms to serve political ends. This comparative approach provides a unique perspective on the failure of transnational educational reforms to influence domestic policy during the 1920s.

Purpose What role did educational historians play in disseminating the legacy of these teachers? What connections were woven between the academic work and that of the alumni who helped disseminate the experience? What tensions have arisen around references to this experience within the field of education? When, and through what mechanisms, did it become public history? Finally, in light of this experience, what challenges does the history of education face in bringing the legacies of educators who “made history” into dialogue with today's problems? Design/methodology/approach The experience of teachers Olga and Leticia Cossettini took place in Rosario, Argentina, between 1935 and 1950. It ended abruptly due to an intervention linked to the country's context and the political ideas of these women. While it enjoyed significant presence in the region at the time, it was only after the military dictatorship ended in 1983 that the experience began to be known, and it continued to spread nationally and internationally in the following decades. Findings Even before this experience was studied and systematized by historians of education, it was already widely known in the educational field thanks to the film La escuela de la Señorita Olga/The School of Miss Olga (Piazza, Argentina, 1992). In the decades following its release, we can observe the work of numerous educators, historians of education and other historians in systematizing the experience, but also a significant movement of educators and organizations, brought together by alumni of the school, who have dedicated themselves to keeping their legacy alive. Originality/value Research on the intersection between the guardians of the Cossettini legacy and what has been investigated by educational historians.

Purpose The purpose of this article is to introduce the special issue of History of Education Review, titled Out of the shadows, into the light. It comprises five empirical articles that collectively examine the role of historians of education in the production of public knowledge. Design/methodology/approach This introductory article examines how previously unknown educators or educational institutions entered the public sphere. Beginning with an exemplary case of a female schoolteacher about whom a biography was written and who became famous years later, we conducted an international survey of 32 historians of education from 23 countries to identify additional cases and compare the mechanisms that led to their popularity and fame. Findings The results of the survey showed that, although academic research in many countries has recovered numerous unknown educators – particularly women and exiled persons – only in specific cases has this memory materialised in public recognition, such as streets, murals or commemorative events. We subsequently present some of these cases in five articles: the Republican schoolteachers in Spain, the pedagogical anti-star Mario Lodi in Italy, the sisters Olga and Leticia Cossettini in Argentina, the exiled teachers Charlotte Heckmann and Minna Specht in Germany, and the Eötvös József College in Budapest, Hungary. Originality/value This special issue demonstrates that the visibility of certain educators or institutions does not depend solely on historiographical work, but on the interaction between academic research, political circumstances, social networks, public controversies, and the existence of so-called “windows of opportunities”.

Purpose Borrowing the concept of depoliticisation from O’Brien (2015), Giroux (2002, 2014) and others to unpack the relationship between the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), the state and university management, my analysis draws on news coverage and other primary artefacts, including Fair Work case decisions, to document the fight to secure new enterprise agreements (EAs) at these seven universities, unveiling a fundamental power imbalance. Design/methodology/approach This paper documents the industrial campaigns of the NTEU at universities in the bargaining period spanning 2022–2023. Specifically, it examines the campaigns of seven Australian universities at which management attempted to thwart and circumvent the good faith bargaining practice undermining enterprise bargaining by putting a non-union ballot to its workers. It situates the events of this period through a critical reflection of the history of industrial action by workers within the sector. I chart the history of trade unionism in Australia, specifically looking at enterprise bargaining (EB). This allows me to contextualise the use of non-union ballots by these universities, arguing that this move is symbolic of greater systemic problems for university workers. Findings Management's crafting of the bargaining narrative projected a false message of shared interest and just process. While the power to dictate the terms of workers' conditions and control the public narrative resides disproportionately with management, universities' social license has been lost by aggressive anti-worker actions such as these efforts to quash worker consultation and silence negotiations. The erosion of civic literacy follows decades of neoliberal attacks on unions and the collusion of monopolistic corporate media helps to make sense of this power chasm. Such conditions make genuine dialogue in Freirean terms almost impossible, with oppression of the university workforce the apparent objective illustrated by this recent history. Originality/value This article documents the bargaining process used by Australian universities and provides rare personal insight into the power imbalance inherent in enterprise bargaining in the industrial context. The author notes an autoethnographic and reflexive positionality that invokes the right of intellectual and academic freedom to critically discuss issues in both the higher education sector and insitution at which she is currently employed.

Purpose Antonia White’s Frost in May (1933) is based on her experience of boarding at an English Catholic convent conducted by The Society of the Sacred Heart in 1908, placing it in the category of autobiographical fiction. The aim of this article is to explore the experience of boarding school trauma and its emotional architecture for the child protagonist in an English Catholic private fee-paying girls’ school in that period and to augment historical research on the specific educational practices of The Society. Design/methodology/approach Relying on adult accounts of childhood experiences is problematic, and emotional responses have a cultural and historical component to them. A method of dealing with this is to triangulate the novel with recent research into boarding school trauma, as well as research into the educational practices of The Society. Findings The findings evidence consistency between the novel and recent research into boarding school trauma as well as the way in which religious discourses were co-opted to manage emotional responses in a girls’ Catholic convent. Originality/value This is the first analysis of Frost in May from an educational history perspective and application of boarding school trauma to it.

Purpose This article examines how Spanish historical documentaries produced between 1975 and 2024 have represented Republican schoolteachers of the Second Republic (1931–1936). It aims to understand how these portrayals shaped collective memory and how historians took these teachers out of the shadows and made them into educational heroes, linking the academic history of education with public history. Design/methodology/approach The study builds a catalogue of 27 Spanish historical-educational documentaries focused on Republican schoolteachers. Each film was described using 25 variables covering production context, narrative techniques, symbolic and emotional elements, and involvement of historians of education. The corpus was then analysed through thematic narrative analysis. Findings The documentaries produced seven recurrent representations of Republican teachers: pedagogical modernizers, victims of repression, exiled cultural brokers, community leaders, feminist pioneers, regionalist educators, and ambivalent/non-Republican figures. Overall, they framed teachers as progressive reformers and martyrs of democracy, downplaying continuities of traditional practice. The films employed emotionally charged testimonies, archival “mythologized documents”, such as class photographs and purge files, and symbolic acts to engage audiences. Historians of education played an important role, not only as advisors and on-screen experts but also as sources of narratives that shaped public memories. Originality/value This research uses a new source: historical documentaries on the history of education. It also reveals the role of historians of education involved in these documentaries in recovering and publicizing certain actors – the Republican teachers – who were forgotten during Franco's dictatorship and the first decades of democratic government.

Emerald Publishing is committed to the realization of a research and publishing environment built upon transparency, accessibility, and integrity. Accordingly, we have signed the Declaration to #DefendResearch, which aligns with our core values and long-standing mission to contribute to positive change in research and society more broadly.During this time of geopolitical instability, research and higher education face unprecedented challenges. In the United States, recent executive orders are disrupting research, education, and library programs, removing federally funded initiatives that support diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as green energy, climate, health, and other research domains. These measures have led to the termination of critical research grants and created uncertainty for researchers, faculty, librarians, and others who carry out and rely upon the benefits of research itself.#DefendResearch takes a stand against the defunding and censorship of academic research, advocating for the free exchange of ideas and the safeguarding of scholarly work from undue restrictions. This resonates deeply with our commitments to support authors in disseminating their work without fear of suppression.We believe that global research collaboration represents the optimal route to alleviating the numerous challenges facing the world today. Research holds the key to impactful change for the benefit of society, from advancing health care and technology to fostering social justice and environmental sustainability. Publication of rigorous, peer-reviewed research supports and amplifies voices from every setting, ensuring that every editor, reviewer, and author feels valued and respected, and the resultant publications are trusted by millions of readers around the world. In this context, we also restate our commitments to:We have championed the democratization of knowledge for well over 50 years and are privileged to have published research that has significantly advanced the understanding of societal issues, contributing for example to:The facilitation of rigorous research, real-world application, and impact underscores our approach: discoverable, impactful research that gives voices to diverse contributions.By standing together, the global community can successfully resist censorship, promote open dialogue, and ensure that academic freedom remains a cornerstone of scholarly communication. To quote Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” In this spirit, we invite all those who participate in and engage with research to join together in supporting #DefendResearch.Emerald PublishingApril 2025

Purpose The aim of this work is to demonstrate how – through a public history approach – it was possible to enhance the work and thoughts of Mario Lodi, primary school teacher and educationalist, who became famous in the 1970s in Italy for his battles in defence of democratic education and children’s rights and was gradually forgotten in the following years. At the beginning of the 2000s he was remembered more as a writer for children, with some undying masterpieces such as Cipì (1961) still included in the catalogues of important publishing houses in Italy and abroad, but oblivion began to descend on his engagement to undermine the authoritarian model of schooling still in force in schools and encourage the spread of a democratic and cooperative method between teachers. Design/methodology/approach In 2020 – in view of the centenary of his birth (1922–2022) – a Promoting Committee was spontaneously formed to celebrate this anniversary. In 2022, the Ministry of Culture agreed to officially establish a National Committee for the Celebrations of the Centenary of Mario Lodi’s Birth and grant it funding to organise these celebrations. Between 2022 and 2023, more than 250 events were organised throughout Italy, targeting very diverse audiences. Scientific conferences, exhibitions, book presentations, seminars and training courses for teachers, children’s workshops in schools and university courses for students were organised. Findings In addition to a more specialised audience of researchers, teachers and university students, however, an attempt was also made to reach a broader public also through theatre performances, re-editions of his books, documentary films and TV broadcasts. The effect was to restore great public visibility to Mario Lodi and his school model, placing him at the centre of the pedagogical and cultural debate in Italy and abroad (initiatives were also made in Spain, where Mario Lodi’s pedagogical reflection had exerted a great influence after the end of the Francoist regime). Historians of education have been central to this process. Originality/value The originality of this work is assured by the fact that the scientific results of the educational and cultural activities promoted by the National Committee for the Celebration of the Centenary of Mario Lodi’s Birth and carried out between 2022 and 2023 have not yet been published.

Purpose The aim of this paper is twofold. First, to examine how a “mystery” evolved around Eötvös College despite the constant public interest surrounding the institute. The second is to analyse the College’s representation in the press and its impact on the legacy of the institute between 1895 and 2024. Design/methodology/approach Research perspectives are analysed through a combination of document analysis of archival materials as well as sign-vehicle and semantic analysis of periodicals from the Arcanum journal and press database. Findings The analysis found that the “mystery” surrounding the College evolved as a result of the modification of its training programme following a major teacher training reform between 1921 and 1929, which also contributed to its eventual abolition. Although its representation varied across different periods, its presence in the press fostered remembrance and thus the historical examination of the institute. Its continuous visibility in various public spheres led to its recognition as a historical site in 2014. Originality/value The combined analysis of archival and press sources revealed a shift in the remembrance patterns of the institute, identifying the “National Historical Site” as a place of memory incorporating three layers of meaning. One of these layers is the silence which shrouded the College after the deprofessionalisation of its training in 1950.