Developing Citizenship in Schools

A Whole School Resource for Secondary Schools

Baker, Patricia, Turner, David

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781134987009
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

This practical guide and resource has been written to provide whole-school approaches to developing citizenship. It is based around a detailed range of core activities, including the development of a school council, school elections and community links.

Part 1
Background Information

Chapter 1
What is Citizenship?

This chapter sets out the citizenship requirements upon which the rest of the book is based. It is, therefore, written in a rather different style from the rest of the book which is intended to be a practical, dip-in resource for teachers. This chapter, by contrast, is necessarily based closely on the concise definition of citizenship used by the DfEE in the National Curriculum. We make no apology for this; it is essential to understand the requirement before trying to teach pupils something about their roles and duties as citizens. The full document can be obtained from the National Curriculum website on www.nc.uk.net.

Background

The report of the Advisory Group on Education for Citizenship and the Teaching of Democracy was delivered in September 1998. It recommended that the teaching of citizenship and democracy become a statutory requirement on schools. It identified three principal dimensions:

• participation in democracy;
• the responsibilities and rights of a citizen;
• the value of community activity.

The acceptance of this report by government has led to the development of a detailed citizenship curriculum for schools. This becomes mandatory in August 2002.

Citizenship and the National Curriculum

In their foreword to Citizenship: The National Curriculum for England, published in 1999, the Right Honourable David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education and Employment and Sir William Stubbs, Chairman of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, refer to the equality of opportunity which underpins the school curriculum and of a commitment to valuing ourselves, our families and other relationships, the wider groups to which we belong, the diversity in our society and the environment in which we live.

The National Curriculum determines what should be taught in our schools and sets attainment targets for learning so that everyone has a shared understanding of the skills and knowledge that pupils should gain from their time in school. From September 2002 the curriculum will include citizenship. The aim is to provide pupils with an understanding of their roles and responsibilities as citizens in a modern democracy and so help them to deal with difficult moral and social questions that arise in their lives and in society.

Citizenship teaching, along with personal, social and health education (PSHE), is intended to give pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding to play an effective role in society at local, national and international levels. It should promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and help them to live confident, healthy, independent lives, as individuals, parents, workers and members of society.

The programmes of study set out what pupils should be taught and the attainment targets set out the expected standards of pupils’ performance. Programmes of study for Key Stages 3 and 4 are reproduced below.

In both cases citizenship teaching should ensure that knowledge and understanding about becoming informed citizens are acquired and applied when developing skills of enquiry and communication, and participation and responsible action.

Programme of Study for Citizenship at Key Stage 3

Knowledge and Understanding about Becoming Informed Citizens

Pupils should be taught about:

• the legal and human rights and responsibilities underpinning society, basic aspects of the criminal justice system, and how both relate to young people;
• the diversity of national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding;
• central and local government, the public services they offer and how they are financed, and the opportunities to contribute;
• the key characteristics of parliamentary and other forms of government;
• the electoral system and the importance of voting;
• the work of community-based, national and international voluntary groups;
• the importance of resolving conflict fairly;
• the significance of the media in society;
• the world as a global community, and the political, economic, environmental and social implications of this, and the role of the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations.

Developing Skills of Enquiry and Communication

Pupils should be taught to:

• think about topical political, spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues, problems and events by analysing information and its sources, including ICT-based sources;
• justify orally and in writing a personal opinion about such issues, problems or events;
• contribute to group and exploratory class discussions, and take part in debates.

Developing Skills of Participation and Responsible Action

Pupils should be taught to:

• use their imagination to consider other people’s experiences and be able to think about, express and explain views that are not their own;
• negotiate, decide and take part responsibly in both school and community-based activities;
• reflect on the process of participating.

Programme of Study for Citizenship at Key Stage 4

Knowledge and Understanding about Becoming Informed Citizens

Pupils should be taught about:

• the legal and human rights and responsibilities underpinning society and how they relate to citizens, including the role and operation of the criminal and civil justice systems;
• the origins and implications of the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding;
• the work of parliament, the government and the courts in making and shaping the law;
• the importance of playing an active part in democratic and electoral processes;
• how the economy functions, including the role of business and financial services;
• the opportunities for individuals and voluntary groups to bring about social change locally, nationally, in Europe and internationally;
• the importance of a free press, and the media’s role in society, including the Internet, in providing information and affecting opinion;
• the rights and responsibilities of consumers, employers and employees;
• the United Kingdom’s relations in Europe, including the European Union, and relations with the Commonwealth and the United Nations;
• the wider issues and challenges of global interdependence and responsibility, including sustainable development and Local Agenda 21.

Developing Skills of Enquiry and Communication

Pupils should be taught to:

• research a topical political, spiritual, moral, social or cultural issue, problem or event by analysing information from different sources, including ICT-based sources, showing an awareness of the use and abuse of statistics;
• express, justify and defend orally and in writing a personal opinion about such issues, problems or events;
• contribute to group and exploratory class discussions, and take part in formal debates.

Developing Skills of Participation and Responsible Action

Pupils should be taught to:

• use their imagination to consider other people’s experiences and be able to think about, express, explain and critically evaluate views that are not their own;
• negotiate, decide and take part responsibly in school-and community-based activities;
• reflect on the process of participating.

Table 1.1 Summary of programmes of study for citizenship at Key Stages 3 and 4

Knowledge and understanding
Key Stage 3	Key Stage 4
Legal and human rights and responsibilities	Legal and human rights and responsibilities
Basic aspects of the criminal justice system	Operation of the criminal and civil justice systems
The diversity of national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the UK	The origins and implications of the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the UK
Central and local government public services
Parliamentary and other forms of government	The work of parliament, the government and the courts in making law
The electoral system and voting	The electoral system and democratic process
Voluntary groups (community, national and international)	How individuals and voluntary groups can influence soc...