teaching citizenship journal / issue 38 / spring 2014

Issue No 38 Journal of the Association for Citizenship TeachingSpring 2014 www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk

Advancing OutstandingCitizenship Education

In this edition:The new curriculum for Citizenship:

change and continuity

Democratic Life and the campaign to save Citizenship

Matt Flinders on ‘Defending Politics’

www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk | Spring 2014 | Issue 38 Teaching Citizenship | 3

Peace Education06 Editorial – Peace Education & Citizenship

CND’s Anna Liddle introduces the theme 07 Teaching Citizenship Special Editorial Karl Sweeney gives Lee Jerome a vote of thanks08 The evolution of modern peace education... The progenitor of Citizenship? by Charles Harlock 12 Peace-building through Peer Mediation Sara Hagel & Ellis Brooks create more peaceful schools 16 Testimony in the classroom

Tom Jackson explains how survivor testimony enriches the experience of learning about conflict19 The legacy of the A-bomb

Tatsuya Tateishi on the Hiroshima Peace Museum 20 Routes to Peace

Diane Hawden on the Peace Museum UK21 Coventry: City of Peace & Reconciliation Balbir Sohal involves young people in peace projects24 Inspiring Global Citizens by ‘Connecting Classrooms’ British Council’s Andrea Mason links with schools abroad26 “Helpless, but not without hope”

Teaching Israel / Palestine by Matt Jeziorski28 Much more than ‘statutory requirement’

Chris Gabbett & Mollie Edwards’ peaceful school

Features & Research31 Creating citizenship communities Young people’s place in society by Ian Davies et al32 Still at War? Pete Pattisson explores Nepal’s conflicted, post-war education system36 Curriculum Review Update

ACT’s lobbying activities on the new curriculum by Lee Jerome

Reviews & Regulars37 Seen and Heard by Unicef; Truman on Trial by CND Teaching resources reviewed by Lee Jerome and Balbir Sohal38 ACTually... there’s more to a curriculum than facts

Lee Jerome finds the draft programmes of study offensive

Design & Production Editor : Lionel Openshaw | Telephone +44 (0)7985 979 390 Email [email protected] | Web www.openshaw.uk.net

Published by the Association for Citizenship Teaching, 63 Gee Street, London ec1v 3rs Email [email protected] | Telephone +44 (0)20 7253 0051

www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk / Autumn 2013 / Issue 37 / Teaching Citizenship / 3

Contents

© 2014 Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) ISSN 1474-9335No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied

or transmitted in any form or by any means without the permission of the publisher. Teaching Citizenship is the official journal of ACT.

The views expressed in signed articles do not necessarily represent those of ACT, and we cannot accept responsibility for any products

or services advertised within the journal. Printed and distributed by Premier Print Group: www.premier printgroup.com.

Autumn2013

12

24

32

Editorial notesWe have rather grandly conceived of this edition and the previous one (Issue 36) as our ‘War and Peace’ collection and our guest editor has commissioned a fascinating range of articles to explore Peace Education and the connection to Citizenship. Thanks to Anna Liddle, from cnd, for the amazing job she has done and we hope you find something here that inspires you to act. Clearly the tradi-tion of Peace Education is a particu-larly important one whilst we spend the year ahead talking to young peo-ple about War and Commemoration, and Anna has pulled together a good range of perspectives.

We also welcome back some old friends to the journal. We have the final news update from a major research project from colleagues in York, and an update from Pete Pattisson about his experiences in the wider world of Citizenship.

There is also a timely update from act and Democratic Life on the national curriculum and the ‘Actually…’ column focuses on what’s wrong and what needs to happen next. As we move out of the campaign phase and into the interpretation and implementation phase, act will be very active producing resources and providing support to members. Please stay in touch to let us know what you want and what you can help with. Most importantly, share your thoughts on any aspect of the new curriculum that will be a focus of the next edition of the journal. We will make space for a range of opinions on what we do with this curriculum next.Lee Jerome & Gavin Baldwin, Teaching Citizenship Editors Email [email protected] – or – [email protected]

Education in NepalText & photos by Pete Pattissonsee page 32

Peace Education06 Editorial – Peace Education & Citizenship

CND’s Anna Liddle introduces the theme 07 Teaching Citizenship Special Editorial Karl Sweeney gives Lee Jerome a vote of thanks08 The evolution of modern peace education... The progenitor of Citizenship? by Charles Harlock 12 Peace-building through Peer Mediation Sara Hagel & Ellis Brooks create more peaceful schools 16 Testimony in the classroom

Tom Jackson explains how survivor testimony enriches the experience of learning about conflict19 The legacy of the A-bomb

Tatsuya Tateishi on the Hiroshima Peace Museum 20 Routes to Peace

Diane Hawden on the Peace Museum UK21 Coventry: City of Peace & Reconciliation Balbir Sohal involves young people in peace projects24 Inspiring Global Citizens by ‘Connecting Classrooms’ British Council’s Andrea Mason links with schools abroad26 “Helpless, but not without hope”

Teaching Israel / Palestine by Matt Jeziorski28 Much more than ‘statutory requirement’

Chris Gabbett & Mollie Edwards’ peaceful school

Features & Research31 Creating citizenship communities Young people’s place in society by Ian Davies et al32 Still at War? Pete Pattisson explores Nepal’s conflicted, post-war education system36 Curriculum Review Update

ACT’s lobbying activities on the new curriculum by Lee Jerome

Reviews & Regulars37 Seen and Heard by Unicef; Truman on Trial by CND Teaching resources reviewed by Lee Jerome and Balbir Sohal38 ACTually... there’s more to a curriculum than facts

Lee Jerome finds the draft programmes of study offensive

Design & Production Editor : Lionel Openshaw | Telephone +44 (0)7985 979 390 Email [email protected] | Web www.openshaw.uk.net

Published by the Association for Citizenship Teaching, 63 Gee Street, London ec1v 3rs Email [email protected] | Telephone +44 (0)20 7253 0051

www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk / Autumn 2013 / Issue 37 / Teaching Citizenship / 3

Contents

© 2014 Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) ISSN 1474-9335No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied

or transmitted in any form or by any means without the permission of the publisher. Teaching Citizenship is the official journal of ACT.

The views expressed in signed articles do not necessarily represent those of ACT, and we cannot accept responsibility for any products

or services advertised within the journal. Printed and distributed by Premier Print Group: www.premier printgroup.com.

Autumn2013

12

24

32

Editorial notesWe have rather grandly conceived of this edition and the previous one (Issue 36) as our ‘War and Peace’ collection and our guest editor has commissioned a fascinating range of articles to explore Peace Education and the connection to Citizenship. Thanks to Anna Liddle, from cnd, for the amazing job she has done and we hope you find something here that inspires you to act. Clearly the tradi-tion of Peace Education is a particu-larly important one whilst we spend the year ahead talking to young peo-ple about War and Commemoration, and Anna has pulled together a good range of perspectives.

We also welcome back some old friends to the journal. We have the final news update from a major research project from colleagues in York, and an update from Pete Pattisson about his experiences in the wider world of Citizenship.

There is also a timely update from act and Democratic Life on the national curriculum and the ‘Actually…’ column focuses on what’s wrong and what needs to happen next. As we move out of the campaign phase and into the interpretation and implementation phase, act will be very active producing resources and providing support to members. Please stay in touch to let us know what you want and what you can help with. Most importantly, share your thoughts on any aspect of the new curriculum that will be a focus of the next edition of the journal. We will make space for a range of opinions on what we do with this curriculum next.Lee Jerome & Gavin Baldwin, Teaching Citizenship Editors Email [email protected] – or – [email protected]

Education in NepalText & photos by Pete Pattissonsee page 32 Contents Spring 2014

New Curriculum06 Editorial – New Curriculum Lee Jerome & Gavin Baldwin

07 Ofsted news Scott Harrison reviews Citizenship Consolidated?

10 The Campaign for Citizenship Liz Moorse reflects on Democratic Life

14 Active Citizenship in the Curriculum James Wrights on continuity and challenges

17 Debate in the Curriculum Lee Jerome on continuity and challenges

19 A Big Picture for Citizenship ACT Council’s new Big Picture diagram

23 Voluntary Groups and Citizenship Brandon Block, Anna Liddle & Kate Jones

24 Approaching Financial Citizenship David Kerr & Fiona Ellis’s starting points

26 Opinion: Precious Liberties Karl Sweeney lets off steam

Features28 Defending Politics Matthew Flinders reflects on Citizenship and cynicism

33 University Outreach A case study from Rebecca Ridley & Emily Rainsford

35 Citizenship Education in Lebanon Bassel Akar, Maha Shuayb & Hugh Starkey

Reviews & Regulars37 The Labour Party & Citizenship Education by Ben Kisby Lee Jerome reviews a new book on the history of Citizenship

38 ACTually... we all need to feel empowered Lee Jerome reflects on teachers as agents of change

Editorial notes

As we go to press with this edition Mr Gove has once again focused attention on the centenary commemoration of World War 1 by suggesting that history teachers mis-teach the history of the war by implying that it was largely futile. Gove argued that it was a Just War and should be taught as such, and this has attracted a lively debate in the mainstream media about the nature of the war, the nature of history and the meaning of history for contemporary citizens. Whatever position you take on this debate, this is a timely reminder that the centenary is approaching and that it would be a good time to start planning something – a point we made in our summer edition (36) when we explored some of the distinctively Citizenship perspectives we could bring to the task.

This is clearly an important time for commemorations and anniversaries as next academic year will also see celebrations around the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta (in the summer 2015) and the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (in November 2014). In the next edition we will be focusing on both of these significant dates and would welcome members’ ideas for resource reviews, case studies and articles.

Please contact us with ideas, requests and contributions.

Lee Jerome & Gavin Baldwin,Teaching Citizenship Editors

Email [email protected]– or – [email protected]

Front cover image courtesy of Pete Pattisson http://petepattisson.net/

Design & Production Editor: Grant Lucas | Telephone +44 (0)1242 238 210

Email [email protected] | Web www.magazineproduction.com

Published by the Association for Citizenship Teaching, 63 Gee Street, London EC1v 3rS

Email [email protected] | Telephone +44 (0)20 7253 0051

2 | Teaching Citizenship www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk | Spring 2014 | Issue 38

The purpose of Citizenship is to educate our young people about

democracy. To ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to debate political questions and get actively

involved together in solving problems in their own communities as well as their interest in global issues.

Michael Gove’s decision to first retain and now strengthen Citizenship with

these revisions sends a very clear message to Heads and governors. This

is an important curriculum subject for which they are accountable. This

means setting high expectations of all pupils, providing rigorous Citizenship

teaching and proper subject resourcing. I would like to thank

everyone who has worked so hard to turn this around, against all the odds

David Blunkett, MP

ACT is delighted that at last we have the new National Curriculum for Citizenship in Secondary education. The aims, purpose and programme of study for the subject have been clearly set out. This provides a firm baseline for teachers to develop new and exciting teaching and learning for pupils in schools

Chris Waller, ACT

We are delighted that the hard work of Democratic Life supporters has paid off – to all of you we say a huge thank you. We kept going until the last moment to seek improvements and ensure the revised curriculum more closely reflects the spirit and principles of the subject first articulated by Bernard Crick. Now we have to work to ensure all schools re-engage with Citizenship and provide the high quality teaching that children deserve

Liz Moorse, Chair of Democratic Life

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‘‘ ‘‘

4 | Teaching Citizenship www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk | Spring 2014 | Issue 38 www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk | Spring 2014 | Issue 38 Teaching Citizenship | 5

Events & News Sheila is a professional trainer, regional subject advisor, ACT Council Member, partner in an educational consultancy business

and is involved in the teaching of Citizenship and PSHE at The King Edward vI School, Morpeth, Northumberland.

Compiled by Sheila Clark on behalf of ACT Council. Share info and news about

forthcoming events –email: [email protected].

National Citizen Service Two resources for personal financial and economic education

Mandela 27 exhibition at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

The Five Nations Network

ACT has joined forces with National Citizen Service (NCS) to launch a new resource that will support high quality Citizenship teaching and social action in schools.

This resource is intended to support Citizenship at key stages 3 and 4 and promote active learning and social action. It aims to inspire students to make a difference in communities through activities that can be linked to GCSE Citizenship Studies and the revised National Curriculum for Citizenship.

NCS is a government backed youth citizenship programme that builds the skills and confidence of 15-17 year olds to help them get ahead in work and life. The programme lasts up to three weeks and must include 30 hours of volunteering committed to a community project that benefits both young people and society.

The materials have been developed and written by ACT in partnership with NCS and include:

A teaching guide with advice on how to develop active

citizenship and learning approaches, as well as guidance on teaching controversial issues and

working with the communityA series of flexible curriculum activities

for use with Key Stage 3 and 4 students as part of Citizenship lessons and off-timetable sessions

A social action toolkit containing tips aimed directly at students for organising successful

social action, to support students undertaking work for GCSE Citizenship Studies or for independent use to help research, identify and develop social action projects

A range of video case studies illustrating examples of effective social action projects whilst also demonstrating the benefits of NCS for young people.

Materials are available at www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk/ncs

To find out how to get involved in the National Citizen Service programme visit www.ncsyes.co.uk or email [email protected]

The Five Nations Network is a unique forum sharing practice in education for Citizenship and values in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each year our conference brings together teachers, policy makers, initial teacher educators, inspectors and NGOs from each nation to explore and discuss Citizenship and values education.

For the period 2013-17, the Strategy Group agreed a focus on ‘Citizenship and Identities’, with the intention of developing a series of three conferences to explore the theme. The first of these events took place on 6-7 December and explored political identity. The programme allowed critical exploration of the following questions in the context of political and social change in the five nations:

How can/should political identity be explored and taught in citizenship?

What strategies can we use to engage and educate

young people about politics and parliament?From interest to engagement and action: What can

be done to develop young people’s political identity?Films created by young Modern Apprentices and

supported by Young Scot can now be found on the website along with workshop materials and a written report of the conference at http://fivenations.net

The Network is managed by the Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) and is generously supported by the Gordon Cook Foundation. The work is overseen by a Strategy Group with country representatives from each of the five nations. Deepa Shah is the Five Nations Programme Coordinator, Liz Moorse Five Nations Programme Leader and Senior Manager for ACT.

National Citizen Service and ACT launch new materials to promote social action

Conference launches ‘identity’ theme

Giving Nation Challenge inspires 11-16 year-olds to run social action projects and charitable activities. It provides start-up capital, teacher training, teaching resources, online reporting and national awards.

This is a curriculum-based, active learning programme for schools. Students identify an issue they feel strongly about and then design, deliver and evaluate a social action project to support their cause. Whilst doing this, they develop transferable skills in campaigning, volunteering, social entrepreneurship and fundraising.

What do you get for taking part? • £50 per class to kick-start

activities• Free teaching resources• Free inset training• Your own G-blog (our unique online reporting tool)• Automatic entry to the Giving Nation annual social action

awards and the chance to win cash prizes for your charity

Giving Nation is run by the Citizenship Foundation and is funded by the Cabinet Office and Santander. For more information, talk to: Richard John (Programmes Manager - Giving Nation – Secondary), Citizenship Foundation.020 7566 4152, [email protected]://www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/giving-nation

The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry will be showing a special exhibition on the subject of Nelson Mandela from 12 April to 1 June 2014. The exhibition is a cultural collaboration between the European Union and South Africa, and the Herbert is the first of only three UK venues where it will be shown. The exhibition includes a physical display inspired by Mandela’s Robben Island prison cell, a serious game depicting life on Robben Island, and a visual tour of the prison. Through photographs and multimedia it also explores the story of apartheid, and protest and peace movements in South Africa and elsewhere.

The exhibition has relevance to the History and Citizenship curriculum at both primary and secondary level. The Herbert is pleased to welcome pre-booked educational groups free of charge. Ways of the World, a facilitated school session exploring themes of conflict, peace and reconciliation, makes an ideal complement to the exhibition for Years 3 to 8 and can be booked for a reasonable charge.

For further information about the exhibition, go to www.mandela27.eu and check the Herbert website nearer the time. Details of the Herbert’s school sessions can be found at www.theherbert.org/learning/schools.

Paying for It is an economic awareness programme for 14-18 year olds. For the last six years, it has been run in partnership with Aviva UK. This free programme includes lesson plans, teacher training and classroom resources, all designed to stimulate discussion around economic and public spending issues. Topics include health, environment, transport, education and employment.

Welcome to our new Chair of Trustees, Scott HarrisonScott was a teacher of history and politics, LEA adviser, Chief Examiner (history) and textbook author before becoming an HMI in 1990. Scott represented Ofsted on the Citizenship Advisory Group chaired by Professor (Sir) Bernard Crick and was the specialist adviser for citizenship at Ofsted until his retirement in 2009. He was responsible for the inspection survey of citizenship in schools and also for inspection of citizenship initial teacher education and continuing professional development. He now works as an education consultant. Scott joined the ACT Board of Trustees in 2013.

Recruitment of new TrusteesWe still wish to recruit a few more Trustees to the charity to expand and enhance our expertise. We would especially like to hear from those who have knowledge and experience in finance, human resources, business development, fund raising and how the law affects charities.

Recruitment for ACT CouncilACT members are invited to stand to join the ACT Council each year at our AGM which is held during our Annual Conference in the summer, The date for this year is to be announced on the ACT website shortly.

6 | Teaching Citizenship www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk | Spring 2014 | Issue 38

Editorial Ofsted newsLee Jerome & Gavin Baldwin, Journal Editors

t one point we thought Citizenship might be cut from the curriculum completely.

Then we thought it might be downgraded to an option.

Then we feared we might get a programme of study so dreadful we couldn’t work with it.

And finally, the dust is settling and we can begin to take stock of where we are and what we need to do next.

This edition of the journal has been compiled to get the process underway and to start to address these two questions.

Where are we now?This is addressed most explicitly in Scott Harrison’s reflection on the most recent Ofsted subject report, in which he tries to add some more specific suggestions about how Citizenship teachers might use the report to think about what strengths are emerging and what the next challenge for your department might be. Next, an interview with Liz Moorse captures some of the highs and lows of the campaign to save Citizenship over the past few years. We thought this was a sufficiently important story in the short life of our subject to warrant recording it here, giving, as it does, many insights into how to lobby effectively - a model of active Citizenship in fact.

Where next?This brings us to the main substance of the edition – thinking about (i) how to unpack the new secondary programmes of study and (ii) what they might look like in practice in September 2014. ACT is uniquely well placed to start this, given that the DfE is unlikely to produce the kind of supportive resources that accompanied previous versions of the curriculum. ACT has therefore convened a working group of Council members (mostly teachers, PGCE tutors and LA advisors) and ACT staff to develop a shared interpretation of the curriculum. This group has devised a new version of the ‘big picture’ (see centre pages), which we hope will help you think about the subject and its place in the school. To complement this Lee Jerome and James Wright

have written a pair of articles focusing on some continuities and remaining challenges in relation to the core Citizenship skills of debate and active citizenship. Anna Liddle and Brandon Block (both Council members) and Kate Jones extend this theme of continuity by pointing out in their brief article that NGOs and charities have established a well-respected role in Citizenship and that this has been further reinforced in the new curriculum. David Kerr (an ACT Council member) and

Fiona Ellis (from pfeg) have collaborated on a piece exploring the implications of personal and financial education in the context of Citizenship. And finally, Karl Sweeney (Chair of Council) has contributed a heartfelt personal opinion piece about ‘our precious liberties’. We asked him to share his thoughts after listening to Karl’s rant on the topic in a Council meeting, and we hope you’ll agree that through the frustration, he identifies some clear points for action that could inform some very interesting practice.

We also asked Matt Flinders to contribute a piece based on his book ‘Defending Politics’, which in itself was a response to Bernard Crick’s ‘In Defence of Politics’ and so it seems fitting that, after our discussion pieces on the new curriculum, Matt takes us back to some fundamental questions about what we think we’re doing when we teach Citizenship. In a nutshell he suggests we should try to teach children to be less dismissive of politicians and to value politics more – a tough call in our increasingly cynical times. As Crick argued in 1962, politics should be valued in its own right, and as Flinders continues, that should logically mean we have to value those who practice the art of politics. Discuss.

Given that the DfE is unlikely

to produce the kind of supportive

resources that accompanied

previous versions of the

curriculum, ACT has

convened a working

group... to develop

a shared interpretation

of the curriculum

‘‘

‘‘

Ofsted’s recent report on citizenship education (Citizenship Consolidated? Ofsted, October 2013) is very positive about the ‘impressive’ provision in primary schools, but what it says about secondary schools can be read two ways. In some respects it is encouraging that Citizenship is now part of the fabric of the curriculum in most secondary schools. However, the report notes weaknesses that are a cause for concern. Firstly, the approaches taken by some schools suggest a continuing misunderstanding as to the key intentions of Citizenship. Secondly, the report notes that in the last year of its 2009-12 survey there was a downturn: this could be significant, suggesting as it does that the lack of confidence in Citizenship’s place in the revised National Curriculum caused schools to wind down their provision- hardly suggesting that provision had become firmly entrenched.

Citizenship in secondary schools: how outstanding is that?

I am delighted to have been appointed as Chair of Trustees of ACT. My formal interest in Citizenship began when I was appointed by Ofsted as an observer on Sir Bernard Crick’s Advisory Group. At that time I was specialist adviser for History at Ofsted, so I came to the group with a particular perspective. I soon learned that Citizenship had many other dimensions and discussion amongst group members was often heated as they argued their corners. In the event, Citizenship has come to embrace many elements of the curriculum as well as the general life of the school. As an HMI, I found myself inspecting the outcomes, reporting regularly on Citizenship in schools, post-16, in initial teacher training and in continuing professional development. I also valued regular contact with ACT and other ‘key players’ in citizenship education.

Since its inception ACT has played a vital part as a forum for Citizenship teachers and in lobbying to maintain a high profile for the subject. Looking at Ofsted’s most recent report, there is much to celebrate in the good and outstanding provision found in schools. Even so, there is work still to be done. Much Citizenship teaching is still by non-specialists,

who need to be reached directly through training and indirectly through high quality materials. Where teaching Citizenship is ‘cross-curricular’ it is sometimes virtually invisible and skills development in particular can be entirely lost. For example, as an ex-head of Humanities, I have often been disappointed by the approach taken by History, Geography and RE departments where teachers say they are teaching Citizenship but actually have not recognised the additional dimension that Citizenship should add to their subject if it is to be taught properly. I hope we can work with other subject associations to address some of these misconceptions. Citizenship coordinators (and, where they exist, heads of Citizenship) also need support in making the case for Citizenship.

With Citizenship having a confirmed place in a new National Curriculum, this is a good time for ACT to consolidate and grow. I therefore look forward to working with Trustees, the Act Council, professional officers and members to reach more schools and make a real difference to students’ experience of Citizenship.

In this article Scott Harrison reflects on the most recent Ofsted report on Citizenship and makes some suggestions about how schools might use the report. In particular he expands on the report’s rather brief recommendations and identifies some specific developments that might help you secure an ‘outstanding’ grade in your next inspection. In doing so he clarifies what constitutes outstanding practice and, whilst some readers will find this familiar, we anticipate this might spur on some of our readers to return to senior management and point out what additional support might be required to move things on in schools.

Scott Harrison, Chair of Trustees at ACT and former HMI for Citizenship

“In the best secondary schools, students’ attitudes towards the subject were

overwhelmingly positive. They spoke with enthusiasm about when they had ‘made a

difference’ and, as a result, recognised the subject’s relevance to their lives” (Citizenship

Consolidated?)

‘‘‘‘

www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk | Spring 2014 | Issue 38 Teaching Citizenship | 7www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk | Spring 2014 | Issue 38 Teaching Citizenship | 7

P

ACT conference participants,

after we knew the subject had been saved but before we knew what it would look like.

www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk | Spring 2014 | Issue 38 Teaching Citizenship | 98 | Teaching Citizenship www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk | Spring 2014 | Issue 38

Ofsted news

Even so, the survey, based on evidence of visits to a sample of schools over a three year period, found outstanding citizenship education in 12 of the 94 schools and good in a further 52. That means that in around a third of schools provision required improvement or was inadequate in some respects.

So what does Ofsted say schools should do to raise their grade in Citizenship? Well, there are only two recommendations. According to the report, schools should:

continue to improve the quality of teaching in citizenship by ensuring that all staff who deliver citizenship education receive the necessary training to teach it effectively; rigorously monitor the quality of provision in citizenship, whatever the mode of delivery.Given the level of detail in the report, this

seems rather modest. So here are some further inferences from the report about what needs to be done to get ‘outstanding’ for citizenship education.

Outstanding achievement was found where:‘students consistently demonstrated excellent knowledge of citizenship’s key concepts, particularly in terms of their political knowledge and understanding of democracy and representation… and exceptional critical thinking and enquiry skills’; and more specifically, where: ‘students demonstrated very secure knowledge of the central areas of parliamentary government and politics and justice and the law, which were found to be the weakest elements in the last survey’. So ACT recommends that:

• schools should ensure that a broad range of assessments demonstrate students’ excellent political knowledge and understanding, critical thinking and enquiry skills, and demonstrate the progress they have made year-on-year.

Outstanding teaching (the report implies) was found where:

‘the subject was taught by enthusiastic expert teachers who demonstrated specialist knowledge gained through specialist training or experience with support when in post.’ And reflecting this:‘In the best secondary schools, students’ attitudes towards the subject were overwhelmingly positive. They spoke with enthusiasm about when they had ‘made a

difference’ and, as a result, recognised the subject’s relevance to their lives together with the opportunities citizenship provided for exploring and sharing views on topics that were important to them.’Active approaches to Citizenship were endorsed,

with teaching being successful where:‘students were encouraged to campaign and become involved in action for change projects, often through links with charities and projects overseas; there was a consistent focus on participation and responsible action as an integral part of citizenship learning.’Where Citizenship was taught through other

subjects:‘it was only effective when teachers of other subjects understood what was required for citizenship learning to be effectively realised and were supported by an expert team leader in realising citizenship objectives in their teaching.’ In the schools where assessment was

outstanding:‘comprehensive assessment schemes had been devised which included the assessment of all aspects of citizenship, regardless of how this was delivered.’So ACT recommends that schools:

• ensure that the curriculum, training and planning equip teachers with the specific knowledge and pedagogical skills needed to enthuse students in politics, government and law, and to teach them the skills they need to research, draw conclusions and take action on issues of concern to them as young citizens;• ensure that all Citizenship teachers are confident and secure so that they can handle the sharing of ideas on controversial issues;• check that assessment of different sorts gives a comprehensive picture of students’ achievement.

Outstanding curricula were found in schools using different approaches, but with a number of common factors:

‘they provided discrete citizenship lessons and enhanced pupils’ achievements through additional activities from a variety of sources, such as tutor sessions used to discuss citizenship-related issues; off-timetable days; planned assembly programmes that directly supported citizenship learning; and carefully planned cross-curricular provision [and] the curriculum programme was responsive to

local, national and global issues, giving context to students’ learning through helping them to grasp real issues.’Notably, too: ‘Four of the outstanding schools provided examination courses at Key Stage 4. The remaining eight schools ensured that a comprehensive programme covered National Curriculum requirements for the subject at Key Stage 4...Ten of the outstanding schools had post-16 provision. Here, the excellent provision and outcomes evident for sixth form students were consistent with those found in the main school. These schools’ commitment to the subject continued into their sixth form provision through enrichment courses that included notable citizenship content. In particular, sixth formers’ contributions to active citizenship were high profile in these schools. Extensive opportunities were provided for students to campaign in school and beyond, lead initiatives in school and support the work of younger students.’So ACT recommends that schools:

• sustain and grow the core provision so that students have a deep and progressive experience of citizenship taught by a specialist group of teachers or teachers from other subjects who aspire to be specialists; • write schemes of work which are enabling rather than constraining so that teachers can exploit current issues to illustrate and develop core learning;• don’t forget that progression continues in Key Stage 4, exams or not;• don’t forget that progression continues post-16 - these are the ones who might swing the balance in the next election.

Outstanding leadership and management were found where: ‘Senior leaders demonstrated their strong commitment to citizenship education for all students through a clear vision for the subject. This commitment prompted suitable allocations of curriculum time and appropriate staffing, with access to good-quality training and support.’‘the post of subject leader was a significant one, commensurate with the leadership of other foundation subjects. In the best schools, arrangements for line management were secured through the provision of good support for subject leaders from a named senior colleague. Subject development planning was based on well-informed self-evaluation, linking development of the subject to whole-school priorities.’ Whether or not there is a citizenship department, the report

assumes that provision is broader than timetabled lessons. As such:‘The best schools employed subject leaders with both the expertise and time to lead the subject properly. In order to coordinate often complex provision effectively, subject leaders demonstrated a wide range of skills.’Fittingly, the report gives due weight to ‘student voice’:‘the schools upheld and strongly promoted a firm commitment to consult with students and use their feedback to reinforce the principles of democracy and representation and to encourage students’ involvement in decision-making and taking action.’So ACT recommends that school leaders:

• demonstrate how their vision is realised in practice- curriculum time, line management support for the subject lead, expert staffing and ample resources;• ensure the subject leader has the skills and authority to do the necessary;• ask the students what they think about school policy and practice, and act accordingly.

In terms of the school’s overall effectiveness, there is surprisingly little in the report to develop the theme in the opening statement about the contribution of Citizenship to students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.

Even so, ACT recommends that schools: • articulate and exemplify the close convergence between aspects of Citizenship and SMSC.

In summary, ‘Citizenship Consolidated?’ can be useful in promoting citizenship in schools in several respects. Not the least, it is useful to show senior leaders that Ofsted is looking at Citizenship and continues to publish focused reports. It gives case studies of good practice. It reinforces the message for schools that still aren’t doing well enough. And finally, and with apologies that it was not mentioned above, it shows that there is lots going on in primary schools that is preparing pupils for the outstanding provision that they deserve when they go to secondary school.

“The best schools

employed subject leaders

with both the expertise and

time to lead the subject

properly. In order to coordinate

often complex provision

effectively, subject leaders demonstrated a wide range

of skills.” (Citizenship

Consolidated?)

‘‘

‘‘


The Campaign for Citizenship

In the aftermath of the 2010 election many of us feared for the future of Citizenship in England. With commitments to shrink the curriculum and focus on EBacc subjects, a small and relatively new subject, especially one so focused on ‘real-life’ rather than academia, seemed especially vulnerable. Three years on, the subject has been confirmed as an equal subject in the curriculum, with a clearly defined knowledge base and a clearly defined set of citizenship skills. In this article Lee Jerome reports on an interview with Liz Moorse about the activities of Democratic Life, which has played an instrumental role in bringing about this change in fortune. The campaign for Citizenship conducted by Democratic Life is itself an exemplary story of active citizenship and political literacy – we should have expected no less of the Citizenship education community.

BeginningsDemocratic Life is a coalition of individuals and organisations, which formed around the central aim to “strengthen and extend all young people’s entitlement to high quality citizenship education, in order to prepare them for taking part in our shared democratic life.” The idea for Democratic Life came from Molly Kearney at the Citizenship Foundation and was backed by Tony Breslin, then Chief Executive of the Foundation. They hoped to build a campaign to ensure Citizenship remained on the agenda after the 2010 election. There was a feeling in the run up to the election that the Conservatives were somewhat sceptical, the Liberal Democrats wanted to reduce the core curriculum and that, for Labour, the subject was of decreasing interest. Democratic Life was founded to galvanise the disparate groups with an interest in Citizenship and to create additional lobbying capacity. To that end the Citizenship Foundation enabled Molly, then working for the Foundation on parliamentary communication and policy, to spend time setting up the group. Molly was joined by Liz Moorse, who was then in the process of leaving the QCDA and had been invited to undertake some policy consultancy work for the Foundation. Although the impetus clearly came from within the Citizenship Foundation, Democratic Life quickly established its own identity, branding and clear governance procedures, based on initial meetings with founding members such as ACT, CSV, Hansard, Amnesty and the British Youth Council. When the Citizenship Foundation had to reduce its financial support for

Democratic Life, Amnesty International UK stepped in to keep the network viable and enable Liz to spend some time on the campaign. Despite these small pockets of funding, as the campaign progressed, Liz’s role increasingly became a voluntary one – an excellent example of the importance of ‘voluntary activity’ creating change.

An ‘insider’ perspectiveLiz recalls that before she left the QCDA there were already rumours circulating that some subjects, including Citizenship, were considered at risk from any review of the national curriculum. These fears were further fuelled 18 months later when the DfE expert curriculum review

panel recommended some subjects should be effectively demoted in a restructured curriculum. Whilst some in the Citizenship community felt the writing was on the wall at this stage, Liz’s insider experience made her less pessimistic for two reasons. The first was that although Michael Gove had been sceptical about Citizenship before the election, and once installed as Secretary of State for Education he kept making allusions to his dislike of ‘woolly’ subjects, nevertheless he had not made any explicit comment about the future of Citizenship since taking office. This meant that defending Citizenship would not require a U-turn. The second reason for optimism reflected Liz’s experience of the actual process of curriculum development, review and consultation. Liz understood that the process is a long one with many opportunities along the way for lobbying and genuine possibilities for change. Remembering Bernard Crick’s advice about how to influence decision-makers, Liz also knew that Democratic Life would need to keep on promoting its message right up until the very last minute, because every decision can be changed until the moment it is announced – a commitment which paid off towards the end of the process with some of the biggest changes being adopted over the summer holiday season in 2013.

Lobbying and the big pictureBecause of her knowledge of how the process might be managed in the DfE, Liz made sure that Democratic Life focused on building a broad coalition to give it credibility and forge useful connections, and that it was primarily focused on high level lobbying, rather than being distracted by media work. As she put it, with limitations on capacity and resources, she and Molly had to stay very focused on creating a clear campaign from the outset. When Bernard Crick was employed as a Special Advisor to David Blunkett, this is the kind of work he undertook on behalf of Citizenship, meeting politicians and civil servants, providing briefings and keeping a keen eye out for opportunities and threats.

Without that insider approach, Democratic Life would have to find other influential insiders who wanted to support the campaign. Two of the most important advocates for Democratic Life were Lord Andrew Phillips, a Liberal Democrat peer, who is also President of the Citizenship Foundation, and David Blunkett, who brokered meetings within the Labour Party, introduced an Early Day Motion in parliament and, most importantly, used his status to secure several meetings with Michael Gove. In addition Molly visited the three main party conferences in 2010 to raise the issue in fringe meetings and find potential supporters. She and Liz also prepared a briefing for parliamentarians, sharing some of the emerging evidence about the impact of Citizenship as well as laying out the strong case for politicians to support effective education for democratic citizenship.

Phillips lobbied in the Lords and advised Liz and Molly about which peers to approach. As a consequence several members of the Lords added public messages of support to Democratic Life’s website. Blunkett set up an initial meeting with Gove in January 2011, at which Democratic Life was represented by David Barrs, a head teacher and former Chair of Trustees at ACT; David Kerr, who had coordinated national and international research on Citizenship at the NFER; and Andy Thornton, who had taken over as Chief Executive at the Citizenship Foundation. At the next meeting, held in June 2012 and involving Liz, Andy Thornton and David Blunkett, the atmosphere was more positive and Liz felt they made a powerful case and that Gove was listening. During this discussion Gove made it clear that he expected Citizenship to continue in the national curriculum and had become convinced of the need for Citizenship as a subject. Liz believes this meeting and the sustained lobbying from Lord Phillips and David Blunkett, as well as many individuals and organisations supporting the Democratic Life campaign, helped to secure the decision by Michael Gove to reject the Expert Panel’s recommendations and retain Citizenship as a statutory national curriculum

Democratic Life – Democracy in Action

There were rumours

circulating that some subjects, including

Citizenship, were

considered at risk from

any review of the national curriculum. These fears

were further fuelled 18

months later when the

DfE expert curriculum

review panel recommended some subjects

should be effectively

demoted in a restructured

curriculum

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The Campaign for Citizenship

subject. This decision was finally announced in parliament in February 2013 and provided a fresh impetus for Democratic Life to re-focus on the content of the subject. Blunkett had one further meeting with Gove in July 2013, primarily to push on some specific issues relating to the programme of study. Supported by a briefing from Liz, he argued the curriculum needed to go further and specify active citizenship and skills much more explicitly.

Sweating the small stuffIn addition to this high level lobbying, Democratic Life undertook some very detailed work around the consultation. When the call for evidence came in April 2011, Democratic Life created an easy to use on-line template to maximise the response rate from teachers, parents and students. This resulted in an impressive composite submission from the organisation, drawing on a range of evidence and case studies, plus 380 separate submissions. This was important because, as Liz knew from previous consultations at the QCDA, whilst the numbers of responses would not guarantee a result, it would ensure the department would take Citizenship seriously. A poor response at this stage might have made it easier to dismiss the subject as marginal.

Liz was also aware that, having scrapped the QCDA, the DfE would need support in drafting programmes of study for all the subjects and looked for opportunities to offer support to those involved. To prepare for this Liz convened a writing group, much as she had when working on programmes of study at the QCDA, and submitted drafts on a regular basis to the team at the DfE. After the second meeting with Michael Gove, when it was clear that Citizenship would have a future in the curriculum, Liz met with DfE colleagues, to share drafts from Democratic Life and make the case for points to be

included or omitted. Some important adjustments around specific content, concepts and skills followed.

In the very first submission from the Democratic Life writing group, the suggested content was divided between political, legal and economic aspects of citizenship. The purpose of this was to illustrate the breadth of the subject’s knowledge base, and relate it explicitly to established areas of scholarship. The DfE’s first public draft comprised a very short list of essential knowledge, which was narrowly focused on political and legal knowledge. In addition, the first draft was so tiny it would have looked like the subject had been downgraded. Early efforts were therefore focused on encouraging the DfE to broaden the subject and restore key citizenship concepts relating to democracy and human rights, as well as international and economic perspectives.

The Blunkett-Gove meeting in July 2013 opened the way for further dialogue. Liz supported Blunkett in preparing for this meeting and followed up with further discussions. The final programme of study published by the DfE on 11 September 2013 includes citizenship concepts (government, democracy, rights and responsibilities) and skills (research, debate and action).

Liz would have liked the phrase ‘active citizenship’ to be included in the final version. However, the reality is that the curriculum does include community involvement, democratic action and volunteering, which justify a wide range of active citizenship experiences. Whilst it was important that diversity and the international dimension made it into the final version in key stage 4, Liz regrets that these are

not more prominent at key stage 3. But overall, as Liz says, if you read the new programmes of study closely just about everything from the previous two versions of the Citizenship national curriculum is there one way or another. It is now more explicit about knowledge of political institutions and processes, and that makes it look a bit ‘dry and dusty’ on first glance, but there’s enough there to be interpreted to make an interesting curriculum.

Achievements and challengesIn reflecting on the establishment of the Democratic Life coalition and the campaign to save (and then improve) Citizenship, Liz is most proud of the fact that the network achieved its goals to retain Citizenship and enhance its position in the curriculum. Liz believes helping organisations and individuals to work together and strengthen their relationships with each other was key to being successful. In the process Democratic Life has also re-established and refreshed some important all-party support for the subject. There is still more to do though, primary Citizenship, qualification reforms and assessment without levels are all important issues to continue to work on, as is the need to establish better Citizenship teaching in more schools. It is important though that the subject starts from a safe position as a substantial subject in the revised national curriculum, defined as essential knowledge, understanding and skills for democratic participation. We should also take heart from the fact that this was achieved through some good old fashioned and persistent, democratic action.

Having scrapped the

QCDA, the DfE would

need support in drafting

programmes of study for all the subjects...

To prepare for this Liz convened a

writing group, much as she

had when working on

programmes of study at the QCDA,

and submitted drafts on a

regular basis to the team at

the DfE

‘‘

‘‘

If you read the new

programmes of study closely

just about everything

from the previous two

versions of the Citizenship

national curriculum is

there one way or another

‘‘‘‘

Headteacher Rachael Warwick said “Citizenship within the curriculum, with mandatory status, has to remain in order for schools to deliver education in its truest sense”. She went on to add that activities like the ones her school has engaged with have provided her students “with the skills, competencies and personal qualities needed to engage, participate and succeed in an unpredictable and changing society.”Extract from the Headteacher of Didcot Girls’ School, published as part of the Democratic Life campaign.

In November 2010 the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and the Department for Education published the final report of the Citizenship Education Longitudinal Study (CELS). This research showed that young people are more likely to have positive attitudes towards civic and political participation when they have received citizenship education that is: • taught discretely in the timetable, and in

sufficient periods of time (longer than 45 minutes);

• developed by specialist teachers who are responsible for the Citizenship curriculum, rather than the school’s PSHE coordinator;

• formally examined (e.g. through GCSE in Citizenship Studies);

• provided regularly and throughout the young people’s educational experience. Extract from Democratic Life’s briefing to Michael Gove in 2011.

Citizenship is the only subject in the national curriculum that teaches about the way democracy, politics, the economy and the law work.

Half a million young people have achieved a GCSE or A level qualification in citizenship to date since 2002.

Young people initiated over 100,000 active citizenship projects in their communities since the GCSE was introduced.Extract from the parliamentary briefing prepared by Democratic Life in 2010.

Founding Members:Amnesty International | Association for Citizenship Teaching | British Youth Council | Changemakers | Citizenship Foundation | CSV | Involver | LSN | Institute for Global Ethics

Supporting organisations:ActionAid UK | Anne Frank Trust UK | British Humanist Association | BIHR | Civic Voice | The Co-operative | Democracy Matters | English PEN | Envision | Fairbridge Five Nations Network | Hands Up Who’s Bored | IARS | ILEX | Institute for Citizenship | The Law Society | Media Trust | NATE | National Youth Agency | National Union of Students | Oxfam GB | PLENET | Student Voice (previously ESSA) | UK Youth UNICEF UK | United Nations Association – UK | Unlock Democracy | Youth Action Network | UK National Commission for UNESCO


would be my response. We are perfectly justified in continuing to include active citizenship as a core element of the subject, but we must work hard to develop this meaningfully. This was always a problematic area of the curriculum in many schools and so the old problems and challenges will continue. Problem 1: Charity v Citizenship

Effective active Citizenship education in schools is often hindered by a lack of clarity or understanding of what is meant by the term. Too often active Citizenship is taken to mean, ‘being a good, kind compassionate person’, exemplified by charity bucket collections or non-uniform days to raise money for a good cause. Although these may be worthy activities, this conception of active Citizenship needs to be challenged and replaced with an explicitly political conception of active Citizenship - one which enables students to critically engage with mechanisms and processes for influencing decision making and change in their communities. Problem 2: Risky education in risk averse institutions

This shift in understanding is too frequently held back by a lack of confidence that we as Citizenship teachers in our small departments can pull off ‘risky’ active Citizenship projects. This is a growing problem in increasingly risk-averse schools obsessed with summative assessments, grades and levels of progress. Problem 3: Teacher confidence

The fact that active Citizenship pushes many of us outside our comfort zone only serves to compound the problem. We are teachers after all, not full-time campaigners or activists and many of us simply do not (yet) have the knowledge or skills to deliver effective active Citizenship.

Some practical suggestionsBut do not despair! The good news is that help is at hand. Confidence and knowledge comes through effective scaffolding and with practice (learning by doing is at the heart of active Citizenship after all!) For many of us, this is where we may need to look outside the four walls of our classrooms for inspiration. After all, if you can’t bring the

school out into the wider community, you can always try to bring the wider community into the school. Solution 1: Finding outside help

Many organisations are desperate to get involved in schools, and share their knowledge and expertise. These organisations have dedicated campaign teams who are very happy to come into schools to discuss their work with young people and advise them with their campaigns. Solution 2: Accessible virtual starting points

On-line activism can be an effective entry point for active citizenship in the classroom. Virtual campaigning may feel safer and more manageable for teachers and students, but there should be a plan for moving into action in ‘real-world’ communities. Too often the active Citizenship box is ticked with the click of mouse or the pressing of a return key, possibly shortchanging the children of opportunities for actual physical engagement with the issues being addressed. Such actions frequently serve as an accessible route into further political engagement. They can help develop a sense of political agency in young people, showing them that their learning is not confined to the classroom and is something they can take with them beyond lessons.

The best campaigns, and therefore the best Citizenship schemes of work, use whatever media and forms of action seem most likely to work given the resources available. As educators become more comfortable with blended learning, which uses face to face and on-line teaching, so activists and Citizenship teachers might embrace blended active Citizenship, combining real-life and virtual action and interaction, always with a clear goal in sight.Solution 3: Root the knowledge acquisition within the active citizenship

A measure of our success has to be the extent to which we have taken the time to ensure there is a space for young people to engage critically, both with the issue being addressed and the types of action the students are proposing to take. To achieve this we must ensure that we plan lessons and schemes of work, not with the sole motivation that young people engage in some sort of activism, but that we also seek to remedy the lack of a conceptual basis in the new curriculum.

James Wright examines active citizenship in the new curriculum and explores some outstanding challenges.

Voting and voter apathyThe comedian and actor Russell Brand recently condemned the act of voting as a form of tacit consent to a system set out to promote and maintain an inherently unequal and exploitative world. These sentiments seem to tap into a feeling of disenchantment with mainstream politics many young people share. The sense that politics has nothing to offer them is borne out by the statistics revealing only 40% of 18-24 year olds voted in the 2010 general election. Although Russell Brand’s position courted a lot of controversy, perhaps critics overstated their position, after all, the idea that just by not voting, either through choice or otherwise, you cease to have a voice or lack political power seems an oversimplification.

Although an interesting place to start, participation in the act of voting is a poor measure of the democratic pulse of a nation and cannot reliably tell us about the levels of political interest and engagement among the people. Surely there must be more to our democracy than a single act one day every four years - particularly given that the children we spend our days discussing politics with can’t even vote yet anyway!

Human beings or human becomings?Students’ responses to questions about the purpose of school and their education are invariably phrased in terms of the children’s future worth and future value, things like, ‘I’m learning this so that I can get a job in the future’ etc. Very rarely to students frame their answers in relation to the present and their current worth. It is almost as if, for the student in their own, and perhaps society’s eyes, they are not yet fully human, like beings existing in potentiality – ‘human becomings’, if you will.

This mentality is not really surprising given that, despite the requirements of the UNCRC, children’s ideas and views are frequently ignored in our society. It’s no wonder that young people are limited to the hope that they will only have agency and value upon leaving school and entering adulthood. Active Citizenship, however, is a vital tool for challenging the notion of the disaffected young person detached from society. It can sow the seeds for young people to learn to recognise themselves as people whose lives and views have importance now, not just in the future. This is what sets our subject apart in

a crowded curriculum, and what gives children real and practical opportunities to critique, challenge and change the society of which they are part.

The old and the newIt is therefore with concern that many in the Citizenship community have awaited the outcomes of the government’s curriculum review. How would a subject such as Citizenship, with its explicit aim to provide children with the opportunity to critically assess, influence and importantly change their society, fare in a Conservative led review?

So, has active Citizenship been consigned to the past, replaced by a focus on volunteering, and the skills of money-management? Well, although we do now have to teach about pensions and insurance, it’s a relief to see that there remains scope in the new curriculum for Active Citizenship. For example, in the ‘Purpose of study’ section, the first line talks about Citizenship providing children with the skills to play an active part in society. This is followed in the ‘Aims’ section where it states that children should develop ‘a commitment to participation in forms of responsible activity.’ This is supported by similar language both at key stage 3 during which students should ‘develop skills to take informed action’, and at key stage 4 where it states that students should ‘experience different ways that citizens can act together to solve problems.’ In fact, if viewed generously it appears that, not only is there space for active Citizenship, there is actually a need for it in order to give meaning and relevance to what is an otherwise dry and content-led curriculum.

What is clearly omitted from the new curriculum however is an explicit focus on key concepts, such as democracy and justice, and key processes - of which ‘taking informed and responsible action’ was one. Together concepts and processes provide a clear basis for progression and assessment of knowledge, which goes beyond a surface level understanding of factual information; the new Programme of Study therefore needs to be interpreted through skills and concepts we identify ourselves as the ACT Big Picture in this journal demonstrates.

Continuing problemsSo what does this curriculum shift mean for our teaching, particularly with regard to active citizenship? Very little

James Wright, PGCE Citizenship Course Leader, London Metropolitan University

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New Curriculum

Change and Continuity: Active Citizenship


Change and Continuity: Debate and Deliberation

The ability to think clearly about public issues, to consider other’s viewpoints and to engage in discussion of those issues is absolutely central to almost any notion of democratic civilisation. It is almost impossible to imagine a functioning democracy without also imagining discussion in a public forum. Talk is simply central to democracy and this is reflected in the recent rise

of interest in ‘deliberative democracy’ which has emerged as a significant way to think about democratic theory and a source of democratic innovation around the world – most famously in participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre.

It is certainly no coincidence that the word parliament derives from the French verb ‘parler’ – to talk. Parliament is the place where the important issues of the day are discussed and where some form of collective decision is taken. In his comparative study of parliaments, Steiner (2004) developed a measure called the Discourse Quality Index to assess the extent to which a speech or contribution to a debate meets the criteria established by Habermas of an ‘ideal speech act’. This index includes seven measurable characteristics:(1) Participation.(2) Levels of justification. (3) Content of justification.(4) Respect towards people affected by the issue

being considered.(5) Respect for the position adopted by other

participants.(6) Response to counter-arguments.(7) Constructive response to debate.

Sometimes democracy can feel like it’s just an opportunity for people to stand up and shout their own opinions as loudly as possible – the rest of us

are free to listen or not. But if we want to think about how to make our society more democratic we have to think about how we come together to talk and listen through public debate – and through that process (what John Annette calls ‘civic listening’) we can come to a new appreciation of others’ opinions and beliefs, and therefore a fresh appreciation of the scale and scope of the issue we are discussing. In deliberative democracy, that new appreciation of the issue is supposed to open our minds to new solutions – not just a compromise that meets in the middle (this is rarely possible in most contentious public issues) but actually a decision which acknowledges the different perspectives in some way. This was always important in all democratic societies but as we become increasingly diverse, it is difficult to imagine how we could function democratically without spaces and processes for such open exchanges.

The seven features of the Discourse Quality Index were developed to judge national parliaments, but they could equally function as rules for the Citizenship classroom. Citizenship debates and discussions in the classroom require a form of engagement which is not simply about articulating your own personal views and trying to ‘win’ a debate (effectively to impose your view on others who have very good reasons for not agreeing with you). It should be about developing a respect for the (inevitable) diversity of opinions in a pluralistic democracy and thinking together about constructive solutions that work as collective public decisions. This means creating opportunities for students to experience and use talk in different ways.

First, citizens need to be able to find out about important public issues – this can partially be achieved through independent research but is also complemented by exploratory talk. In this respect

Lee Jerome draws attention to ‘deliberation’ as an important Citizenship skill which should underpin all Citizenship teaching. This forms the companion piece to the previous article, exploring the ways in which active citizenship has continued as a core element of the Citizenship curriculum. Together they set out the case for continuing to focus on these two critical skills in your revised schemes of work.

Lee Jerome, Lecturer in Education at Queen’s University Belfast and Co-editor of Teaching Citizenship.

Citizenship debates and

discussions in the classroom require a form of engagement

which is not simply about articulating

your own personal views

and trying to ‘win’ a debate...

It should be about

developing a respect for the

(inevitable) diversity of opinions in

a pluralistic democracy

and thinking together about

constructive solutions

that work as collective

public decisions.

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Planning the solutionActive Citizenship is at its best when delivered through schemes of work based on conceptual development, on developing an in-depth understanding of an issue: What are the causes of the issue and why is it a problem?Who is affected and how?What’s currently being done to resolve it?Who/what is responsible for resolving it?What more needs to happen? What can I realistically achieve?What would be a reasonable outcome with regards to solving the problem?

So it is crucial that we do the conceptual groundwork before rushing into action. In planning these schemes of work we must ask ourselves what kind of knowledge we are trying to develop. After all, the knowledge gained from our lessons is only meaningful when it is transferable to other situations / contexts. We also need to ask how we are going to measure or check this development in knowledge. As educators we should also be learning from the students. Are our lessons effective? Are the lessons enabling

progression in the way we hope? Reflection is key. Time for reflection, both for ourselves and the students, must be built into planning. What impact has a particular action had and how do we know? What else needs to happen now? How can we transfer knowledge gained to other topics and issues? We need to think about how, in future lessons and schemes of work, we can build on the work we and our students have done.

Herein lies the issue. Undoubtedly, active Citizenship takes time, both in the preparation and delivery and curriculum time is not something we have in abundance. However, we must make such schemes of work possible, as they are certainly necessary. With some clever planning and resources, it is possible to carry out an effective active Citizenship project in a half term. The key thing to remember is that even if we start small, we start something – and we begin to challenge the perception of the school child as a passive, disempowered receiver of knowledge detached from society. Unfortunately, the new curriculum alone, with its factual, content-driven focus, cannot begin to challenge this idea. Citizenship teachers who continue to strive for effective active Citizenship can and will.

New Curriculum


we should value open deliberation as a means to formulate and refine opinions, rather than be tempted to move to a competitive debate prematurely. Young people need help and time to develop informed opinions about complicated issues and talk is essential in this process. This has been captured under the labels ‘dialogical teaching’ and ‘dialogical thinking’ – the simple idea that our ideas develop through dialogue, and therefore dialogue should be recognised as vital in the classroom.

This was captured succinctly in the old programmes of study under the heading of ‘critical thinking and enquiry’. Teachers were required to give students the opportunity to:• Engage with and reflect on different ideas, opinions, beliefs

and values when exploring topical and controversial issues and problems.

• Research, plan and undertake enquiries into issues and problems using a range of information and sources.

• Analyse and evaluate sources used, questioning different values, ideas and viewpoints and recognising bias.

• Evaluate different viewpoints, exploring connections and relationships between viewpoints and actions in different contexts (from local to global).

The research and formulation of an opinion were intrinsically bound up with the consideration of others’ perspectives on the topic.

In addition to talk’s vital role in helping students to understand important issues, we also frequently engage in different forms of debate. Competitive debates, in which there are two sides and a vote for or against a proposition, have their place and are often very popular with children. But there are also different forms of debate, in which the objective is to find a consensus (rather than merely a majority); or in which multiple perspectives are aired, rather than merely two sides. In the old programmes of study, this was reflected in the heading ‘advocacy and representation’. Teachers were required to give students the opportunity to:• Express and explain their own opinions to others through

discussions, formal debates and voting.• Communicate an argument, taking account of different viewpoints and drawing on what they have learnt through research, action and debate.

• Justify their argument, giving reasons to try to persuade others to think again, change or support them.

• Represent the views of others (and in KS4 evaluate them critically), with which they may or may not agree.

In the new programmes of study both of these elements are encouraged through:• The statement of purpose, which requires us to teach students

the “skills and knowledge to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, debate and make reasoned arguments.”

• The statement of aims reiterates this by stating that the national curriculum for Citizenship aims to “ensure that all pupils are equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions.”

• In key stage 3 we are told that students “should use and apply their knowledge and understanding whilst developing skills to research and interrogate evidence, debate and evaluate viewpoints, present reasoned arguments and take informed action.”

• In key stage 4 students “should develop their skills to be able to use a range of research strategies, weigh up evidence, make persuasive arguments and substantiate their conclusions.”

In addition, the new programmes of study make it clear that students should “experience and evaluate different ways that citizens can act together to solve problems and contribute to society.” My argument here is that engaging in deliberation is essential – both as a contribution to a democratic society and as a route to solve problems. The key stage 4 programme of study also reminds us that everything we teach our students should “deepen their understanding of democracy, government and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.” Talk (and the responsibility to talk and listen) is central to all three areas. Talk should therefore continue to provide the pedagogical backbone of the Citizenship classroom.

ReferencesSteiner, J., Bächtiger, A., Spörndli, M. and Steenbergen, M. R. (2004) Deliberative Politics in Action: Analysing Parliamentary Discourse, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

New Curriculum New Curriculum

A Big Picture for Outstanding Citizenship

ased on the original Big Picture produced by QCDA for the 2007 curriculum, ACT has developed a curriculum model to facilitate outstanding Citizenship Education. Liz Moorse has encapsulated the discussions of the ACT Council and curriculum working group into a draft model (see centre pages) to which Gavin Baldwin has written a descriptive commentary here. Citizenship is seen as an essential strand in achieving quality educational outcomes for all. The model addresses three fundamental questions:

What are we trying to achieve?How do we organise things?How well are we achieving our aims

Question 1 What are we trying to achieve?What are we trying to achieve for pupils, schools and society?The ‘bottom line’ is that we want young people to become responsible active citizens who participate in democracy and public life with respect for diversity and a commitment to working towards greater community cohesion. We need to plan and deliver a curriculum that will enable students to make progress towards challenging standards. And, through producing engaging lessons we can help secure and influence behaviour and attendance and encourage further involvement in, and commitment to education, training and employment.

How does this relate to the DfE’s stated aims for the 2014 curriculum?The curriculum aims to provide:• Essential knowledge to be educated citizens. Without our

Citizenship curriculum and engagement with ‘live’ political knowledge this would be sorely weakened.

• An introduction to the best that has been thought and said. For us this might be an understanding of the active democratic process supported by appropriate theoretical and philosophical insights arguably as encapsulated by Crick’s original vision.

• An appreciation of human creativity and achievement. Those who have fought so hard for human rights and ‘precious liberties’ and have had the creative imagination to envision better diverse and cohesive worlds.

How does Citizenship support these aims by developing the knowledge skills and understanding that pupils need to play a full and active part in democracy and society?

Attitudes and attributes, skills, and knowledge and understanding are interrelated. In order for pupils to believe in their political agency and to develop commitment and a desire to invest effort in actively improving their communities, they need the skills of researching, interrogating and debating evidence and arguments. This critical thinking should result in informed political action for the common good. Such a process requires a knowledge base that is political, social, legal and economic and that develops the key concepts of democracy, government, rights, fairness and justice.

Question 2 How do we organise things to ensure high quality Citizenship Education?The 3 Cs: Curriculum, Culture and Community

The curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that are planned for pupils. In the taught curriculum this can be seen in lessons and learning approaches, learning beyond the classroom and activities within extended hours. More over-arching Citizenship can be seen in the ethos end environment of the school, its routines and roles (the way people’s relationships are regulated) and most obviously through democratic processes such as student voice and voting. Quality Citizenship is then developed through actual experiences of Community involvement; through, for example, school events, Community based activities and the use of outside speakers. This gives a wider political dimension to what is experienced in school.

What learning approaches are most effective?Evidence demonstrates that regular, discrete and specialist Citizenship teaching has a direct impact on the attainment of pupils. This is enhanced by the use of Active Citizenship projects to address real issues and problems within communities and the development of opportunities for learner led work through a range of individual, collaborative and team based tasks. Moreover activities must be relevant and purposeful for a range of audiences. The key to this is variety and flexibility so that pupils learning needs are met through encountering a range of appropriate resources and approaches such as enquiry, instruction, active learning and debate as well as extended writing. Learning can be further enhanced through a mixture of discrete Citizenship and cross-curricular projects while all assessment must encourage learners to reflect on their own learning.

Images from the English Speaking Union www.esu.org


New Curriculum

The school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that each school plans for its pupils. The national curriculum forms one part of the school curriculum

Three key questions

3 How well

are we achieving our aims?

Assessment fit for purpose

Whole curriculum

Learning approaches

Curriculum, culture, community

Accountability measures

Citizenship aims

DfE Curriculum aims

Knowledge, skills and understanding to play a full and active part in democratic society

Attitudes and attributes e.g. an interest and commitment to volunteering and responsible action

Knowledge and understanding e.g. political, social, legal and economic

Skills research & weigh evidence, debate & evaluate views, take informed action

Essential knowledge to be educated citizens

An appreciation of human creativity and achievement

Introduction to the best that has been thought and said

Preparing pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and challenges of life through a curriculum that provides:

To make learning and teaching more effective so that learners understand quality and how to improve

Embraces peer- and self-

assessment

Uses tests and tasks

appropriately

Links to national standards which are

consistently interpreted

Helps identify clear targets for

improvement

Gives helpful feedback for the learner and other

stakeholders

Maximizes pupils’

progress

Promotes a broad and engaging

curriculum

Draws on a wide range of evidence of pupils’ learning

Is integral to effective

teaching and learning

Informs future planning and

teaching

Statutory PoS Citizenship

requirements

Citizenship experiences Citizenship knowledge & concepts Citizenship skills

1 What

are we trying to achieve?

2 How

do we organise learning?

Attainment and improved standards

Behaviour and attendance

Further involvement in education, employment or training

Civic and democratic participation Social cohesion

To secure

Including all learners with opportunities

for stretch, challenge and personalization

Matching curriculum time to learning needs using discrete, cross curricular and off time-

table sessions

Opportunities in the life and culture of the school and the community

A range of approaches in lessons

e.g. enquiry, active learning, debate, extended writing

Learning through individual, group and

collaborative tasks

Opportunities for student led learning and action

Spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, physical development.

NC Citizenship purpose

Lessons Routines Community activity Events Ethos & environ. Beyond classroom Extended hours Routines School council

A big picture for Outstanding Citizenship in your school


How does Citizenship relate to the development of the whole child?Citizenship contributes effectively to pupils’ Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural development. In terms of Ofsted inspections, schools without Citizenship will have to effectively justify its absence and show that the full range of a pupil’s development is catered for.

What about the content of the new National Curriculum for Citizenship to be taught from September 2014?Although shorter than previous programmes of study the key aspects of the subject are recognisable and can be understood as Knowledge and Concepts, Skills and Experiences. The key concepts are Democracy and Government, Rights and EqualitiesFairness and Justice

Through study of these areas pupils will develop the following skillsResearching and interrogating evidenceDebating and evaluating viewpointsTaking informed action

These should be experienced in a range of contextsIn the classroom and wider schoolIn the communityIn public and democratic life

These elements fully complement the inter-related approach mentioned above to enable pupils to believe in their political agency and play a committed role in their communities.

Where is Identity and Diversity?Although not identified as a separate theme, opportunities for pupils to develop a greater understanding of themselves and others and the ‘community of communities’ in which they live permeate this model. A fully integrated approach to understanding identity factors of race and ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation and disability and their attendant ‘Rights and Equalities’ in relation to ‘Justice and Fairness’ obviously leads to a consideration of the mechanisms of social and political change in ‘Democracy and Governments.’

Question 3: How well are we achieving our aims?How do we evaluate and assess pupils learning and progress in Citizenship?

There is still a debate to be had about the best model for assessing Citizenship now that there are no levels included in the curriculum. Some will be relieved and grasp the opportunity for ‘real’ evaluation and assessment freed from the artificiality of linear level progression while others will feel lost without the well defined stages through which a pupil’s progress can be mapped. The important thing is to make sure that we develop assessment instruments that are fit for purpose and give us real insight into pupils learning. This will make learning and teaching more effective and enable learners to understand what is expected of them in terms of quality and how they can improve. The model embraces a range of principles for effective assessment.

Assessment mustBe integral to effective teaching and learning Draw on a wide range of evidencePromote a broad and engaging curriculumMaximise pupils’ progressGive helpful feedback for the learner and for others e.g. parents and teachersHelp identify clear targets for improvementLink to national standards that are consistently interpreted (at present it is unclear where such standards will come from though ACT has a major role to play in developing them)Inform future planning and teachingUse tasks and tests appropriatelyEmbrace peer and self assessment

Such principles should enable the development of real assessment that is fit for purpose and builds on the best practice developed by teachers over recent years.

And so our model is complete. Here we have a big picture of high quality Citizenship Education that clearly establishes its essential contribution to the realisation of a meaningful overall learning experience for pupils in the second decade of the 21st Century.

The new Citizenship curriculum specifically mentions that students should be taught about “the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities”. This is where voluntary sector organisations can really take centre stage. Not only do they bring to life a potentially dry subject, they also act as a bridge between the aims of the curriculum and its subject content. Our organisations do not seek to tell students what to believe but to equip them with the skills “to think critically and debate political questions”. Amnesty International offers fascinating case studies to engage students in debates on “precious liberties” in the UK, and human rights around the globe. CND Peace Education can help young people explore the role of the UN, the UK’s “relations with the wider world”, and think critically about armed conflict. Focusing on Fairtrade enables young people to reflect on the impact of their actions on the world around them, acting locally to create real change globally. Crucially, like other organisations, it provides an opportunity to “participate actively in community volunteering, as well as other forms of responsible activity”.

Teaching Resources Voluntary organisations often produce highly engaging curriculum-linked teaching resources, including films, real stories and ideas for lesson activities. You can find them online through the TES, Global Dimension and Guardian Teacher Network. Organisations’ own websites act as resource hubs and also give students the chance to see for themselves what’s happening at a local, national and even international scale.

How else can voluntary groups help?Many organisations provide trained speakers whose visits bring to life a huge range of issues from human rights to conflict or poverty. Often free of charge, speakers inspire young people with first-hand stories that help them make sense of the world around them and the connections we share with others. Voluntary groups also sponsor events and competitions, such as Fairtrade Fortnight or the Amnesty Youth Awards, which are great ways to build student excitement around current issues. The Fairtrade

Foundation has an Award scheme for schools that puts young people’s action at the centre.

Many voluntary groups provide CPD for teachers seeking to strengthen their skills and knowledge on development issues. Many courses can be accessed free of charge by contacting relevant organisations or using e-credits available to schools through DFID’s new Global Learning Programme (www.globaldimension.org.uk/glp).

Should we have any concerns?Although many organisations give a balanced approach to topics (for instance CND Peace Education includes views from both sides of the nuclear weapons debate), other organisations might not do so. Teachers may need to provide a counter-perspective or opportunities for debate so students can make up their own minds. Young people can feel helpless when learning about complex global issues, so it is useful to be able to inform them about current movements for change and opportunities to take meaningful action. Finally, voluntary groups’ resources are limited. If you want tailored support you usually need to plan ahead.

All in all, organisations like ours can be a tremendous resource for teachers, educating and inspiring young people by profiling Citizenship in action.

New Curriculum

Voluntary groups in Citizenship Educationvoluntary organisations have worked with schools to enhance students’ learning since Citizenship was introduced in 2002. If you have attended the ACT national conference you will have seen stalls from the global and development sector to human rights and peace groups. They are all keen to support Citizenship education and offer learning resources, CPD or school visits, often free of charge. In this article three colleagues from the voluntary sector re-consider their contributions in light of the new curriculum.

Young people can feel helpless when learning about complex global issues,

so it is useful to be able to inform them about current movements for change and opportunities to take meaningful

action… organisations like ours can be a tremendous resource for teachers,

educating and inspiring young people by profiling Citizenship in action

‘‘

‘‘Brandon Block, Human rights Education Manager at Amnesty International UK.

Anna Liddle, Peace Education Officer at CND.Kate Jones, Education Campaigns Manager at the Fairtrade Foundation.


Background ContextDelight that Citizenship has been retained in the 2014 National Curriculum as a statutory subject in England was followed by surprise at the increased emphasis on financial education in the new programmes of study. Rather than the preserve largely of PSHE education, Citizenship has now been tasked with an enhanced role in promoting the financial capability of all pupils. The new Citizenship curriculum order states that in relation to financial education a high quality citizenship education: • ‘Should prepare pupils to take their place in society

as responsible citizens, manage their money well and make sound financial decisions.’

And that all pupils should be taught about:• The functions and uses of money, the importance

and practice of budgeting, and managing risk (Key Stage 3).

• Income and expenditure, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions, financial products and services, and how public money is raised and spent (Key Stage 4).

At first glance it appears that the focus at Key Stage 3 is on personal finance with more opportunity at Key Stage 4 to link to aspects of public finance.

It is clear from the progress of citizenship education in schools since 2002, that the inclusion of financial education presents some philosophical and practical challenges. Philosophically there are questions concerning the place of financial capability in developing informed, active and critical citizens. Meanwhile, studies such as the Citizenship Education Longitudinal Study (CELS) have shown that one of the knowledge areas where teachers of citizenship lack most confidence is that concerning the economy and finance. Accordingly, the topic is often taught less well.

It is likely that ‘high quality’ citizenship education in relation to this enhanced component will take time

to develop in schools. However, there are a number of helpful ‘starting points’ to speed up such development.

Developing ‘Starting Points’(1) Adopting a citizenship approachFirst, it is vital to approach financial education through a citizenship lens and to ensure strong connections are constantly made between the ‘personal’ and the ‘public’ aspects of financial capability. Such an approach is explained well in the recent joint statement from ACT, pfeg (Personal Finance Education Group) and the PSHE Association concerning this issue:

‘Although the [Citizenship] Programme of Study at key stage 3 places an emphasis on the personal aspects of financial decision-making, the key stage 4 Programme of Study indicates this can only be fully interpreted in Citizenship through a recognition that individuals make these decisions in a wider public policy context. It is this which provides the distinctively Citizenship perspective on personal finance - acknowledging the importance of collective decisions, providing opportunities to explore public interest issues relating to money and making links between private matters and our role as public citizens.’(ACT / pfeg joint statement)

(2) Recognising the need for trainingSecond, the need for training that builds subject knowledge and pedagogy concerning financial education for citizenship teachers should not be underestimated. A recent session with the Bristol Citizenship PGCE cohort underlined how those in training feel they do not know enough about how to manage money themselves, or about tax, pension planning and financial products to teach pupils

Approaching Financial Education in Citizenship – Developing the Right ‘Starting Points’

with any confidence. Many citizenship teachers will have similar thoughts. However, such feelings can be overcome with the right form of training. Recent research from NEFE and the Jump $tart Coalition in the USA shows that content-based training increases teachers’ confidence and ability to deliver financial education in the classroom. Pfeg along with ACT is currently working on a CPD package of training for new and existing citizenship teachers.

(3) Exploring relevant topics and teaching contextsThird, it is important to address financial education through topics and teaching contexts that are appropriate for citizenship. The list below underlines how plentiful these are:How public money is raised and spent• The crucial role public services play in the allocation of resources

in society;• Debate about Government spending on e.g. welfare, health,

defence, international aid; • The various forms of direct and indirect taxation.Income• The use of ‘multipliers’ to set the differential between lowest and

highest paid employees;• National minimum wage or ‘living wage’? • The implications of ‘zero hours’ contracts on employee rights.The functions and uses of money• Alternatives to using money e.g. bartering, ‘swishing’, Local

Exchange Trading Schemes (LETS);• The ‘social’ or ‘small bank’ movement e.g. Credit Unions, The

Bank of Dave, ethical banking;• Local currencies e.g. http://bristolpound.org,

www.thelewespound.org; • The practical implications of being ‘financially excluded’ e.g.

needing a bank account for salary payments, using illegal loan sharks if other forms of credit aren’t available.

Budgeting• Responsibility for personal budgeting – what pressure do we put

on others (including the state) if we don’t live within our means? • The problems caused when incomes fall but prices rise. Should the

state intervene?• The role of voluntary groups in supporting people living in

poverty e.g. food banks.Borrowing, credit and debt• How much money should we be able to borrow? How much

should we be offered by e.g. banks, ‘pay day loan’ companies. Should government regulate to protect consumers?

• Judgements about the marketing and advertising of loans – helpful and informative, or confusing and misleading?

• Voluntary organisations offering debt management services e.g.

Citizens Advice.Expenditure• The rising price of energy. Should prices be capped? Should the

winter fuel allowance be stopped?• Consumer rights e.g. returning faulty goods, shopping on-line,

Trading Standards; • The role that money plays in building communities e.g. local

high streets, ‘out of town’ shopping, independent v multi-national chains.

(4) Knowing where resources and support are availableFourth, knowing where appropriate resources and support are available. There already exist many good, free financial education resources including some developed especially for citizenship teachers such as:

Citizenship FoundationPaying for It www.payingforit.org.uk aimed at 14-18 year olds, including the Chance to Be Chancellor challenge, and units on Government and Economy, Health, Education, Public Protection, Environment, Welfare.

My Money My Rights www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk a pocket guide offering information and advice on all aspects of money for young people, supported by lesson plans

Young Citizen’s Passport a guide to the law in England and Wales, including a chapter on money.GovernmentTax Matters http://taxmatters.hmrc.gov.uk designed to help 11-19 year olds understand tax, national insurance and public services.The Participatory Budgeting Toolkitwww.pfeg.org/resources/details/participatory-budgeting-toolkit sets out a rights-based rationale for involving young people in making decisions about budgets that affect them. The pfeg website contains many other free resources quality assured by the pfeg Quality Mark.

(5) Sharing experiences and expertiseFifth, the quality of the teaching of financial education through Citizenship will develop more quickly if teachers and schools begin to share their experiences and expertise, including that between primary and secondary schools. We hope that this article speeds up this process and would be happy to hear about practices and training needs.

Examples of plans, resources and lessons can be shared with journal editors for publication in future editions.

In this article David Kerr and Fiona Ellis share some thoughts about the best way to proceed when engaging with the new financial dimension to the programmes of study. They also suggest some actions for ACT and they will be contributing a topic briefing to the ACT working group on the new curriculum – this will be published on the website during the spring.

It is vital to approach

financial education through a

citizenship lens and to

ensure strong connections

are constantly made between the ‘personal’

and the ‘public’

aspects of financial

capability.

‘‘

‘‘David Kerr is Consultant Director of Education at the Citizenship Foundation and PGCE

Course Leader (Citizenship) at the University of Bristol, and also a member of ACT council. Email: [email protected]

Fiona Ellis is Director of Education at pfeg (Personal Finance Education Group), the UK’s leading organisation helping schools plan and teach financial education, and was previously the Director of Operations at the Citizenship Foundation.

Email: [email protected]

New Curriculum


Opinion

Reclaiming our ‘Precious Liberties’

may be being a bit unkind to the Secretary of State for Education but I can’t help thinking that when he and his advisers first mooted the phrase ‘the precious liberties enjoyed by the citizens of the United Kingdom’ in the recently published Citizenship Programmes of Study, they had in mind some sort of sacred, ‘Life of Brian’-style , biblical event along the lines of

Moses descending from Mount Sinai with tablets of stone (draped in a union jack) and presenting them to Queen Victoria, all accompanied by a host of angels trumpeting ‘Rule Britannia’. The truth, that ‘our precious liberties’ are the legacy of centuries of both personal endeavours and mass struggles by ordinary and extraordinary people, often at the cost of their lives, against deluded monarchs, intolerant religious zealots and armed elites - and usually a combination of all three - doesn’t really come through in the tone of the DFE text. Funny that.

The reference to precious liberties is of course an ideologically driven nod and wink intended to remind us that current human rights legislation, largely introduced by Johnny Foreigner, is

clearly (and I can feel myself actually turning into ‘Outraged of Ashby de la Zouch’ as I write this) “Political Correctness Gone Mad” and “Yet Another Example of the Inexorable Creep of the Loony Leftie Namby Pamby Nanny State into normal British life…..!” We should be thankful for what we, the lucky lucky few, ‘This happy breed of men’ who have been blessed with the good fortune to live on ‘This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty’ etc.- enjoy by way of freedoms and liberties. And lest we forget (staying with the Pythonesque allusion), “You don’t vote for Kings… Bloody peasants!” I think I might have to go and lie down for a minute…

As I think will become increasingly clear over the next couple of years there will be a need for ACT and interested others to take this minimalistic programme of study and turn it into something which actually works in the classroom and the wider school community – a kind of curricular equivalent of ‘Ready Steady Cook’. So it is for the Citizenship teachers of England to give prominence here to those events and their legacy - a crucial part of UK history – which wrested our ‘precious liberties’ from the grasp of the aforementioned deluded monarchs, religious

zealots etc. and which Mr. Gove’s Citizenship and History advisers have studiously chosen to avoid. Below are some starters for ten:• The development of democracy, Magna Carta,

the English Civil War, the extension of the franchise in the 19th and early 20th centuries…

• Freedom of speech, movement and association (including Union representation) - Peterloo, Jarrow, the General Strike, recent changes to Public order laws.

• The defeat of British fascism in the 1920’s and 30’s (e.g. the Battle of Cable Street) despite widespread support for the Blackshirts in the press, industrial leadership and the aristocracy.

• Right to free / communally funded healthcare, education and social protection aka the Welfare State - Bevan, One Nation, the post-war consensus…

• Freedom of the press / media - never really a big issue (no pun intended) here but ironically maybe one now in the wake of Leveson.

• Feminism, the gay rights movement, anti–racism in the 1970’s and 80’s and resulting equal rights laws.

• Human Rights recognition (HR Act), the role of European law and UN Charters, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

• Freedoms of access and the right to respect with reference to ‘protected characteristics’ and the Equalities Act.

Also there is a need to draw attention to the processes and social dynamics which lie at the heart of the origins of our liberal democracy and thus our ‘precious liberties’ and which again those Govine (I think I’ve just invented a new word) ideologues at the DFE have studiously ignored:• Those concepts and processes such as protest,

resistance and non-violent non-cooperation – e.g. the methods used by the suffragettes and, by way of an international ‘compare and contrast exercise’, by Gandhi to give the Indian people a few of the precious liberties which the British government hadn’t really thought they deserved for the previous 300 years; ditto for Martin Luther King and the US government’s reluctance to grant certain precious liberties to black Americans.

• The use of the media and arts in challenging the status quo, i.e. artistic liberties and the tension between these and censorship by the state.

Finally let us address the semantic Elephant in the Room, as I suspect the Govine Tendency very carefully did, that is the distinction between “Liberties” and “Rights”. I think this is effectively expressed below:

“The term “precious liberties” is far too narrow in scope, suggesting an emphasis on civil and political rights rather than the broad range of economic, social and cultural rights contained in the CRC and other international human rights treaties. We are also concerned by the intention to teach only about those “precious liberties” that are “enjoyed” by “citizens”. There are many within the United Kingdom’s jurisdiction who are not citizens, yet still have rights and entitlements. It is essential that students know that human rights are for everyone (not just citizens) and develop an understanding of what these rights are and how they are protected.”(Children’s Rights Alliance for England – response to DFE NC Consultation)

Indeed… I can’t help feeling that there is an insidious implication in the phrase ‘precious liberties’ which suggests a set of privileges which can be withdrawn by the Queen Victoria / Moses / God axis should we citizens start getting ideas above our station. “Rights” have a kind of universal, absolutely non-negotiable feel to them - in fact ‘inalienable’ and ‘self-evident’ as those anti-monarchist trouble-makers the Americans would put it.

The Govine Tendency are right about one thing though. Our liberties are precious, so much so that we must guard very carefully against attempts by neo-con zealots (and anyone else for that matter) to erode them by turning education into propaganda.

Ladies and gentleman of the jury, I rest my case.(Exit stage left accompanied by choral

rendition of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’…)

In this opinion piece Karl lets rip about one phrase in the new key stage 3 programme of study that screamed out at him. Needless to say this piece reflects his personal opinion on the matter and ACT does not have a formal position on what Karl refers to as the ‘Govine ideologues at the DFE’ (also known as ministerial advisors). We will be reserving a space in the next edition of the journal should anyone like to respond. In the meantime, Karl’s response indicates some of the possible interpretations which might arise from this phrase, and the Curriculum Working Group at ACT is working on a teacher briefing on just this topic, to support colleagues thinking about how to teach this new area.

Pupils should be taught about:...“the precious liberties enjoyed by the citizens of the United Kingdom”(2013 DFE Citizenship Programme of Study)

Karl Sweeney, Chair of the Council at ACT.

Our ‘precious liberties’ are the legacy of centuries of

both personal endeavours

and mass struggles by ordinary and

extraordinary people, often at the cost of

their lives, against deluded

monarchs, intolerant

religious zealots and

armed elites.

“Rights” have a kind

of universal, absolutely

non-negotiable

feel to them - in fact

‘inalienable’ and ‘self-

evident’ as those anti-monarchist

trouble-makers the Americans

would put it.

‘‘

‘‘‘‘

‘‘

“Human rights” by FADI1975


Feature

Calming the Storm: Bernard Crick, Defending Politics and the Importance of Citizenship In this article Matthew Flinders takes the occasion of the new curriculum to present us with a challenge. Whilst much of our time and effort in the forthcoming year will focus on reviewing schemes of work and assessment procedures, he reminds us of the real challenge ahead – in a climate of mistrust and scepticism, how do we convince young people that formal democratic politics is valuable in and of itself? This will provide a thought-provoking starting point for anyone thinking about how to teach about our political system.

ernard Crick argued that democratic politics was not perfect, it could not ‘make every sad heart glad’, it was often messy, cumbersome and inevitably produced what economists might call ‘sub-optimal’ decisions. This, however, represented not the failure of politics but the beauty of politics in the sense that it could, through a process of negotiation and compromise, produce collective decisions out of diverse and often contradictory social demands. Fifty years later, however, it is possible to question whether democracy ‘retains

her magic’ and to suggest that the concept’s malleability – its ‘adaptability to all sorts of circumstances’ – may have been exhausted. Even the most cursory glance along the spines of the books on the library shelves reveals a set of post-millennium titles that hardly engender confidence that all is well (‘Disaffected Democracies’, ‘Democratic Challenges’, ‘Democratic Choices’, ‘Political Disaffection in Contemporary Democracies’, ‘Hatred of Democracy’, ‘Why We Hate Politics’, ‘Democratic Deficit’, ‘Vanishing Voters’, ‘Democracy in Retreat’, ‘Democracy in Crisis’, ‘Uncontrollable Societies and Disaffected Individuals’, Don’t Vote – It Just Encourages the B***ards’, etc.).

So what has happened? What has apparently gone so badly wrong? Is politics failing? Why is defending politics such an unfashionable and yet important task? How does citizenship education fit within this broader parameters of debates concerning political decline (and renewal)? To engage with such matters at any serious level in the course of this short article is, of course, impossible and so my aim here is more modest and revolves around looking at three inter-linked themes or issues, 1 The changing nature of political rule in the twenty-first

century

2 The politics and management of public expectations; and3 The importance of citizenship education in the context of

‘disaffected democrats’.My arguments in relation to each of these points are

essentially that:1 The nature of politics has changed to make the business of

politics more difficult, more aggressive, more immediate and more complex;

2 The demands of the public have increased at a time when the resources with which to fulfill those demands is shrinking (no politician has the capacity to satisfy a world of ever-increasing demands);

3 Citizenship education matters because it provides a way of setting out exactly how societies seek to govern and make difficult decisions without resorting to violence or oppression.

In the rest of this article I want to develop these arguments and to explain my position in a little more detail.

The changing nature of political ruleHow then has the nature of political rule altered over the last fifty years and do these changes undermine or strengthen Crick’s arguments concerning the value, importance and achievements of democratic politics? Let me answer this question (very briefly) by highlighting ten ways in which the nature of political rule has undoubtedly shifted. 1 The first and most basic change in the nature of political

rule concerns levels of public trust and confidence in politics. Public commitment to the concept of ‘democracy’ remains high; whereas faith in the day-to-day operation of politics has fallen dramatically. Although understanding the causes of political disaffection is difficult mapping out the evidence for political disaffection is relatively straightforward.

• Between 1970 and 2010 the average turnout for elections in established democracies fell by around ten per cent and the level of decline appears to be increasing.

• In the 1960s the combined membership of the British Labour and Conservative parties stood at around three and a half million whereas today the figure is around three hundred thousand.

• The 2013 British Social Attitudes Survey reports 54 per cent of those surveyed saying they ‘almost never’ trust politicians to tell the truth, while 75 per cent believe that political parties are only interested in votes (rather than principles) and 71 per cent believing that it actually doesn’t matter which party is in power so voting doesn’t make that much of a difference.

The paradox of our current situation is that despite the fact that democracy has flourished in large parts of the world in recent decades (Eastern Europe, Southern Europe and large parts of South America) the extent of public apathy, anger and frustration with the operation of democratic politics seems to have gone beyond healthy scepticism and into the sphere of corrosive cynicism, even fatalism about democratic politics’ capacity to resolve major social challenges. 2 This anti-political climate has fuelled a second change in

the nature of politics – a shift towards the depoliticisation of public policy as more and more functions (the availability of drugs in the NHS, the governance of monetary policy, decisions on the care of the elderly, the regulation of new technologies, etc.) are removed from the direct control of elected politicians and placed in the hands of scientists, technocrats, judges, accountants or ethicists on the basis that ‘taking politics out of policy-making’ will somehow produce ‘better’ decisions. This rather ironic trend towards the depoliticisation of politics brings with

it three unwanted side effects: first, as Alasdair Roberts’ devastating critique of the The Logic of Discipline (2010) reveals, transferring functions away from elected politicians is no guarantee against corrupt or self-interested behaviour; secondly, in terms of democratic accountability transferring functions away from elected politicians to non-elected and largely unaccountable independent bodies carries with it a certain ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire’ unease for those who want to revitalise democratic politics; and finally the infolding or narrowing of the sphere of visible democratic politics that depoliticisation creates makes it very hard for members of the public to understand what their elected politicians actually do or why they should bother voting.

Other changes, moving on more quickly, that have affected the nature of politics in recent decades include: 3 The development of new forms of information communication

technology like the internet, twitter, blogs, etc.

Matthew Flinders is Director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre for the Public Understanding of Politics at the University of Sheffield. He is the author of many books, including Defending Politics (2012) and is currently working on a

documentary about the changing nature of political comedy and satire for BBC radio 4. The Crick Centre is very keen to work with and support members of the Association of Citizenship Teachers. www.crickcentre.org

What has apparently gone so badly wrong? Is politics failing?

Why is defending politics such an unfashionable and yet important

task? How does citizenship education fit within the broader parameters of debates concerning political decline

(and renewal)?

‘‘‘‘

P


FeatureCalming the storm

4 Changing patterns of ownership, distribution and editorial policy within the media.

5 Scientific advances concerning – amongst other things - stem cell technology, human embryology, cloning and xenotransplantation that place new opportunities, decisions and regulatory demands on the political agenda.

6 The institutional landscape through which politics functions has become increasingly complex and interdependent (a transition encapsulated in the shift in emphasis from government to governance), at a time when the challenges facing politicians and policy-makers are more grave and pressing than ever before.

7 More broadly standards of conduct and behaviour are now exposed to the light of public and media scrutiny by the emphasis on transparency and also through the growth of a regulatory industry of complaints processes, sleaze busters and political watchdogs (a development that John Keane captures in his notion of ‘monitory democracy’).

8 At the same time public expectations of politics, in terms of the behaviour of politicians and the standard of services delivered by the state, are increasing at a period in which not only the resources to satisfy these demands (public support, financial capacity, etc.) appear in short supply, but the challenges faced by politicians have arguably become more demanding.

9 These ‘new’ or ‘manufactured’ risks, as scholars including Anthony Giddens and Ulrich Beck call them, arise from the unintended consequences of human progress to produce ever more intricate and thorny challenges like nuclear security, resource depletion, global warming and over-population.

10 The final major change in the nature of politics in recent decades involves a well-charted shift in the role and influence of ideology. Simply stated, fifty years ago

politicians might also have lacked resources but they did at least arguably have a clearer and more stable ideological foundation. As Zygmunt Bauman’s influential book In Search of Politics (1999) and his more recent focus on the notion of ‘liquidity’ has sought to emphasise, the politics of the left or the right provided a form of moral compass or anchorage through which politicians could rationalise their responses to social challenges and offer a relatively coherent governing narrative. What do these ten changes add-up to in terms of the

changing nature of political rule? My answer would be that they combine to create a political context that is louder and more abrasive, that is shallower and more demanding and in which the storm is constantly raging. Calming the storm is therefore the metaphor that matters and in this regard the future of citizenship education is vital. However, in order to understand exactly why this is the case it is necessary to take a short intellectual detour into the politics and management of public expectations.

The politics and management of public expectationsCrick wrote that ‘the disillusionment of unreal ideals is an occupational hazard of free politics’ and from this sought to craft a very honest account of the limits of politics. Politics was (and is) a worldly art based upon compromise, negotiation and adjustment that could not deliver simple solutions to complex problems; and it was, to some degree, as Stoker argues in his Why Politics Matters (2006) ‘inevitably destined to disappoint because it is about the tough process of squeezing collective decisions out of multiple and competing interests and opinions’. Max Weber’s metaphor of ‘strong and slow boring of hard boards’ springs to mind and helps orientate Crick’s simple point that if the public feel that democratic politics is failing them then it may be that the public are expecting too much, rather than that politics is delivering too little.

Lying beneath a focus on the changing nature of political rule is therefore a deeper and more basic question concerning the nature of public expectations vis-à-vis democratic politics. My argument here is both bold and sweeping: the politics and management of the public’s expectations (regarding lifestyle, healthcare, education, pensions, travel, food, water, finances, the environment, etc.) will define the twenty-first century. My argument is straightforward: the increasing evidence of political disaffection stems from the existence of an ever-increasing ‘expectations gap’ between what is promised/expected and what can realistically be achieved/delivered by politicians and democratic states.

This argument can be placed within the contours of well-known debates concerning political behavior. Anthony Downs’s An Economic Theory of Democracy (1957) provides the foundation for exploring these debates. In this book he

sought to understand politics with reference to economic exchanges within society. Downs argued that political parties and politicians (as suppliers) and voters (as consumers) can be assumed to be rational and self-interested ‘utility-maximisers’ who engage in market-like transactions and relationships. Consequently political actors seek to maximize their chances of (re-)election by promising to deliver better services, but at a lower cost than the competitors (other political parties). This creates a bidding war in which the process of political competition artificially increases public expectations, only for these expectations to be dashed as the elected party either seeks to renege upon certain pre-election commitments or fails to achieve them. An economic theory of politics therefore seeks to provide an explanation for the frequent discrepancy between pre-election political rhetoric and subsequent post-election performance. It also allows us to understand the oft-quoted observation of Mario Cuomo on political campaigning:

You campaign in poetry. But when we’re elected, we’re forced to govern in prose. And when we govern—as distinguished from when we campaign—we come to understand the difference between a speech and a statute. It’s here that the noble aspirations, neat promises and slogans of a campaign get bent out of recognition or even break as you try to nail them down to the Procrustean bed of reality.

The analysis of public expectations regarding public services and the capacity of politicians appears to represent something of a terra incognita for political science. Mass data banks and survey results provide rich data about the state of public attitudes but provides far less in terms of why the public hold such views or exactly how their expectations have been shaped, let alone the theories and methods through which political science can generate more sophisticated insights. My argument here is not in line with the advice of Bernard Baruch about ‘voting for the man who promises the least as he’ll be least disappointing’ but it does begin to open fresh questions about whether democracy really is failing or if society is simply expecting too much. ‘If we understood politics rather better’ Colin Hay argues in his award winning Why We Hate Politics (2007) ‘we would expect less of it. Consequently, we would be surprised and dismayed rather

less often by its repeated failures to live up to our over-inflated and unrealistic expectations.’ The simple argument at the heart of this section is the suggestion that democratic politics would not be interpreted as failing so frequently and people would not ‘hate’ it as much as they do if it was judged against a more realistic set of expectations - or more precisely understandings – about what it was intended to deliver. This, in turn, underlines the importance of citizenship education.

Citizenship Education and Disaffected DemocratsThe vast majority of the public do not ‘hate’ politics (or politicians). Surveys repeatedly reveal that the public are more interested in politics than ever and are also increasingly involved in new forms of political engagement that may not be picked-up in traditional surveys or questionnaires. The focus on ‘endism’ and apathy therefore risks over-shadowing a far more positive picture of democratic renewal and re-engagement. The great range of democratic innovations - from the Australian Citizen’s Parliament, to the Democratic Development and Citizen Engagement Project in Bolivia, through to the ‘What You Know is What You Get’ project in the Philippines and

Democracy is perhaps the most promiscuous word in the world of public affairs… She is everybody’s mistress and yet somehow retains her magic even when a lover sees that her favors are being, in his light, illicitly shared by many another… Indeed, even amid our pain at being denied her exclusive fidelity, we are proud of her adaptability to all sorts of circumstances, to all sorts of company.

Bernard Crick, In Defence of Politics, 1962

The paradox of our current situation is that despite the fact that democracy has flourished in large parts of the world in recent decades… the extent of public apathy, anger and frustration with the operation of democratic politics seems to have gone beyond healthy scepticism and into the sphere of corrosive cynicism, even fatalism about democratic politics’ capacity to resolve major social challenges.

‘‘

‘‘

This anti-political climate has fuelled a second change in the nature of politics

– a shift towards the depoliticisation of public policy as more and more functions… are removed from the

direct control of elected politicians and placed in the hands of scientists,

technocrats, judges, accountants or ethicists on the basis that ‘taking politics out of policy-making’ will

somehow produce ‘better’ decisions.

‘‘‘‘

P


Feature Case studyCalming the storm

the Participatory Budgeting experiments in Brazil – can all be reviewed on the Participedia website in a way that reveals a rich and simmering seam of social activity. The challenge is how to nurture and channel that energy in a positive manner and this is why citizenship education matters. If we understood politics slightly better then we may well, as Colin Hay suggests, not only think better of it but also be more willing to engage ourselves. Citizenship education therefore provides a way of avoiding the onset of disaffection by forging a more mature and realistic account of the limits of politics. It should also emphasise – as Crick did in his Defence – that citizenship brings with it both rights and responsibilities.

This is an important point that allows me to bring this essay to a close by comparing two baseline models or interpretations of citizenship in a way that reveals the role and purpose of Citizenship Education. The first model – let us call it - individualised citizenship – is reflected in what I call ‘the Amazonian’ nature of contemporary politics. The ‘Amazon’ in this metaphor relates not to the place (nor to the specific company) but to a market-based model of politics in which you cast your vote and then wait for the post-election goodies to arrive the next day (like a DVD, book or pizza ordered on-line). The simple fact is that democratic politics was never intended, designed or resourced to react in such a direct and immediate manner. Democratic politics is by its very nature infused with a commitment to a second model – a social citizenship – that places ‘us’ and ‘them’ (i.e. the collective) before ‘you’ or ‘me’.

My argument is therefore that citizenship education facilitates the creation of a rich form of social glue, or what most academics would call ‘social capital’, by empowering young people with a rich sense of how the society around them operates, an understanding of the channels and processes through which resources are both collected and distributed and why – at a very basic level - politics matters. Would I be going too far to suggest that some people have become ‘democratically

decadent’ in the sense that they no longer appreciate the great benefits of living in a democratic polity and lack any real awareness of the poverty, disease and brutality that still exists in large parts of the world? Taking this argument forward, maybe what I really mean is that citizenship education should provide a sense of perspective and balance in a world where such things are often in short supply. There are clearly issues about how citizenship education is delivered and what is included in the curriculum. I also have major concerns about the nature and hidden values that seem to be driving the post-2014 approach to citizenship education. The current plans arguably offer an eviscerated model that removes the emphasis on the engaged – even radical – citizen that Crick originally envisaged. It risks becoming too narrow, arguably little more than a selective politics course or even a reversion to civics.

That is not to say that some element of reform is not necessary but that the direction of reform should be towards not a narrowly constructed individualised model but – quite the contrary – towards a richer, thicker and deeper model of citizenship education. More specifically, this should embrace an active-learning model whereby young people are required to engage not in ‘Big P’ politics but in ‘Small p’ political activities like community schemes, volunteering projects, mentoring or shadowing opportunities, advocacy work, etc. as a way of learning how to become good citizens. The great beauty of such activities is that they are driven by value rather than price, they complement classroom-based lessons about the challenges of governing and they create safe spaces – they calm the storm – thereby allowing young people to consider their place in the world and what really matters.

hat can, and what do universities do for young teens in neighbouring towns and communities? As PhD students examining young people’s political engagement and learning this was a question we have both asked ourselves. At the University of Southampton it is clear that there is a lot of brilliant public outreach going on. There is an abundance in the pure

sciences and engineering for example – learn how to make holograms, listen to bubbles, drop eggs without breaking them – but what was there in terms of politics and social science? In the pure sciences it is perhaps straightforward to devise a tangible and interactive exciting experiment that young people can easily get involved in. But how do you do this in the social sciences, and especially in education and politics where things can get a bit abstract? And, most importantly, how do you make it fun and engaging? These are questions that we have attempted to find solutions for.

The Southampton Youth Debate was our solution. This was an engagement and learning activity funded mainly by the university’s Public Engagement and Outreach skills programme and took place in the autumn of 2013. Our objectives were to help young people gain a better understanding of social science PhD research at university and to discuss political and social issues in their local communities with the final aim of actually debating these with “real” political professionals. Having done a similar event a couple of years ago we knew that making this connection and bringing in the politicians was a very important element. Both in terms of letting the pupils meet politicians and see that they are normal people, but also to give them a voice that they are not often given as they are not yet allowed to vote. The debate brought together

over 80 young people in years 9 and 10 from schools across Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

In the first part of the day the young people participated in three short interactive PhD student-led presentations. We kept these presentations quite short and snappy, and asked the students to make them as interactive as possible. We also told them that it did not have to be a presentation covering their whole PhD topic or literature review, but asked them to find an aspect of their research that could be interesting for these school children and one which they could think creatively about.

The PhD students really stepped up to this task and some brilliant examples included one student from geography, who studies clothing factories in Bangladesh and involved the students in making their own t-shirt from scratch and working out its cost and the respective pay each worker earns. From education, a PhD student involved young people in a discussion about equality and education in Uganda and the UK, another about the concept of trust. From

politics a PhD student led a discussion about the UK government’s response to climate change. One geography PhD student commented:

“After noon, the workshop took place; this was by far the highlight

Crick wrote that ‘the disillusionment of unreal ideals is an occupational hazard of free politics’ and from this sought to craft a very honest account of the limits of politics. Politics was (and is) a worldly art based upon compromise, negotiation and adjustment that could not deliver simple solutions to complex problems.

‘‘

‘‘Would I be going too far to suggest that

some people have become ‘democratically decadent’ in the sense that they no

longer appreciate the great benefits of living in a democratic polity and lack

any real awareness of the poverty, disease and brutality that still exists

in large parts of the world? Taking this argument forward, maybe what I

really mean is that citizenship education should provide a sense of perspective

and balance in a world where such things are often in short supply.

‘‘

‘‘

Rebecca Ridley is PhD student at the University of Southampton Education SchoolEmily Rainsford is PhD student at the University of Southampton Politics and International relations Department

University Public Outreach: an avenue for political learningIn this case study two PhD students share a great idea for making the most of local university links and combining citizenship education with widening participation university outreach.

Our objectives were to help

young people gain a better

understanding of social science

PhD research at university

and to discuss political and social issues in their local communities

with the final aim of actually

debating these with

“real” political professionals.

‘‘

‘‘

P


Case study International

Citizenship Education in Lebanon: A National PriorityIn this article some of the team working on a nation-wide EU funded programme in Lebanon introduce the project and outline the context in which they are working. Taken together with the feature on Turkey in our last edition, these articles demonstrate how Citizenship is being developed in some very diverse contexts and also underline how important citizenship education has become in contributing to strong plural democracies. The fact that European funds are being made available for such large-scale developments also illustrates how citizenship education is being seen as an important policy area for the EU. As resources are developed and activities are evaluated, these projects should generate some interesting evidence to help us think more broadly about what constitutes effective citizenship education and how to overcome the obstacles which emerge in each context.

Dr Bassel Akar, Nisrine Makkouk, Dr Maha Shuayb, Prof Hugh Starkey, Chris Waller.

Author for correspondence: [email protected]

ducation is widely recognized as a powerful tool for social change. Education can empower people, providing the knowledge, values and skills to succeed in life. In conflict-affected settings like Lebanon, education embodies aspirations for social integration and promises for peaceful co-existence. Following the end of a fifteen-year civil war in 1989,

the Lebanese Plan for Educational Reform (1994) framed its activities under principles of civil peace and social unity, and citizenship education became a national priority.

The contextLebanon is a small country (about half the size of Wales) with a population of approximately 5 million people. Another 12 million people scattered across the world would consider themselves as diaspora. The population is very diverse, often described as a “mosaic” of religions and cultures. It is made up of Muslims (c. 65%) and Christians (c. 35%), each group further subdivided into different sects. In total, Lebanon has 18 officially recognized religious groups including Sunni, Shiite, Druze, Alawite, Copts, Maronite, Greek Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant, to name a few. In addition, Lebanon is home to about 350,000 Palestinian refugees living in 12 camps across

the country and about 1.5 million international workers from Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Bangladesh and India. Most recently, the crisis in neighboring Syria, has resulted in the influx of an additional million Syrian refugees. With such diversity, and history of sectarian strife, education that supports skills for “learning to live together” becomes a high priority.

The Support to the Lebanese Education Reform: Citizenship education project is one of ten priorities in the Education Sector Development Plan (2010-2015) approved by the Council of Ministers in 2010. The European Union (EU) agreed to fund a major project aiming to contribute to social integration by providing learners with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for living together in a diverse society.

From Civics to Citizenship Education in LebanonThe current Lebanese national curriculum was adopted in 1997 and clearly articulates the intent that education programs aim at “creating the citizen” who “builds a unified and cohesive Lebanese society.” Within this curricular landscape, the civics programme of study is timetabled for one hour per week and is compulsory across all grade levels. High hopes are attached to civics and citizenship education because of their ability to reach, and hopefully influence, over a million enrolled students in schools in Lebanon. Also, for

The population is very diverse, often described

as a “mosaic” of religions and

cultures. In total, Lebanon

has 18 officially recognized

religious groups including Sunni,

Shiite, Druze, Alawite, Copts,

Maronite, Greek Catholic, Greek

Orthodox, Armenian Catholic,

Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant, to

name a few.

‘‘

‘‘

P

of my day. The students played a version of the ‘Fruit Salad’ game whereby they stood up quickly and played a sort of ‘Musical Chairs’, jumping up to various statements I was shouting out. This got rather fiery with everyone hustling and bustling around a very small classroom, and looked to me more like a game of human-vs-furniture-tetris!”

In the second part of the day the young people participated in a workshop and a subsequent “Question Time-style” debate. The aim of the workshop was to facilitate a discussion of political and social issues affecting the young peoples’ communities and the UK more widely. Each PhD student who led the workshop was given a workshop plan which included games such as “vote with your feet” and “match the panellist”. The idea was that these provoked young people and raised their curiosity about the social and political issues that affect their lives and will do in the future. The workshop also had the key aim of generating questions for the afternoon debate. These revolved around topics such as the curriculum, public transport, the quality of the NHS for young people, access to higher education and immigration. This preparation was crucial for the success of the afternoon debate as it gave the pupils the time to prepare good questions and debate them in advance.

We were lucky to have sought a great line-up for the

panel: Rowenna Davis, the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Southampton Itchen, Flick Drummond, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Portsmouth South, and Solomon Curtis, the seventeen-year-old Vice Chair of the British Youth Council and the UK Youth Parliament member for Hastings. Their opposing political views and (at times) Solomon’s comedy provided a great atmosphere for a heated discussion. This was helped by the fact that we were all crammed into a tiny lecture theatre and that the windows, being on the fifth floor, barely opened! Chaired by PhD student from politics, the panellists were quizzed by the young people about a variety of topics and also their respective programmes for action should they be elected.

The day received some very good feedback, which we hope to use to improve future events. The only downside was that the panel debate was not long enough. We had to end abruptly because one school was scheduled to leave to catch their ferry back to the Isle of Wight (no event is perfect!) so not all the students, who wanted to, got to ask their questions which was disappointing given all the effort they invested to create them.

On the upside was a lot of a brilliant feedback. Students from the Mayfield School in Portsmouth wrote on their school website that the debate gave them a useful insight into what a career in politics would be like and noted that ‘overall the day was very inspiring for all of us’. A teacher from The Henry Cort Community College in Fareham commented that ‘this superb initiative with The University of Southampton enables our students to actively engage with highly regarded members of our community and to learn from academics in a unique and stimulating way.’ A student from the same school likewise commented that she thought the day was ‘extremely inspiring’. She reports ‘It gave us an insight into how politicians think and allowed us to voice our views about current problems in society. More workshops like this should be run!’

And we think so to, but not just at the University of Southampton, but in other universities across the country. So what is your local or nearest university doing for local young people and their political learning? What is their solution?

‘It gave us an insight into how politicians think and allowed us to voice our views about current problems in society. More workshops like this should be run!’ (participating school student)

‘‘‘‘


International ReviewsCitizenship Education in Lebanon: A National Priority

Review of Ben Kisby (2012) The Labour Party and Citizenship Education: Policy networks and the introduction of citizenship lessons in schools, Manchester: Manchester University Press reviewed by Lee Jerome

many of these students, civics education provides knowledge and skills that they may never access in any other way. After about 15 years (1998-2013) of implementing the government adopted subject based approach to Citizenship Education, research revealed its limitations in promoting social cohesion. The United Nations Development Program carried out a study of citizenship values amongst more than 3,000 ninth graders. The results revealed that the achievement of Lebanese students in international civic content knowledge was better than their achievement in civic skills (UNDP 2008). The 1997 curriculum had only focused on teaching citizenship through the textbook. The teaching of citizenship was didactic and focused primarily on memorization of Lebanese civic laws.

The current Citizenship Education reform plan as determined by the Ministry is trying to move away from a highly legalistic civics education to a more holistic approach to citizenship that acknowledges both the curricular and extracurricular components of learning for active citizenship. The main activities of this project are to develop the curriculum and the capacities of teachers and administrators to implement an active citizenship programme. Attention will also be given to developing democratic and participatory school environments.

The projectThe Presidency of the Council of Ministers awarded the EU-funded Support to the Lebanese Education Reform: Citizenship

education Project to a consortium of four organizations led by the Institute of Education, University of London. Researchers based at the Lebanese Association of Education Studies (LAES) and Centre for Lebanese Studies (CLS) are working closely with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education from September 2012 – March 2015 to review recent citizenship related initiatives in the public and private sectors and civil society and contribute to the development of a critical citizenship education programme that fosters active citizenship behaviours among Lebanese students. They are supported by the Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) which has extensive experience of supporting teachers of citizenship in England and wider afield.

The project team undertook an initial review of recent citizenship related initiatives in the public and private sectors and civil society and published citizenship education studies in Lebanon. Its key findings give urgency to this reform. Existing citizenship curriculum, pedagogy and assessment shows strong emphasis on content with little or no guidance for practice. Additionally, and due to the delicate religious and political mosaic and the sensitivity of topics related to this diversity, classroom discussions are kept to a minimum and classroom instruction is focused on recitation to pass tests with evidence of learner dependency on teachers.

The public education system in Lebanon suffered greatly as a result of the civil war and post-war development is ongoing. Extra- curricular activities in public schools are scarce so that there is little capacity to support significant student engagement and learning for active citizenship.

The Project team has also conducted a field survey of current practices in citizenship education, visiting 36 schools to ensure input from a range of stakeholders, including teachers, students, school principals, parents and academics. Given ACT’s important contribution to the project, the project team will keep readers of Teaching Citizenship informed of new understandings about the evolution of Citizenship in the region. You can expect to hear more about the journey teachers, administrators, trainers and students experience as the curriculum reform gathers pace.

Ben Kisby’s book analyses the development of citizenship education policy under New Labour and in doing so provides a much needed general appraisal of that initiative. As a political scientist he situates his argument within network policy analysis (chapter 1) and explores how ideas arise in particular contexts, that is to say, in particular periods of time (chapter 2), in the midst of on-going political debates (chapter 3), and through networks of particular policy actors (chapters 4 and 5).

Kisby’s thesis is essentially that citizenship education was part of a broader New Labour project to tackle a perceived deficit in social capital. He argues that there was an influential group of policy advisors who were interested in Robert Putnam’s analysis of social capital (popularized in his book ‘Bowling Alone’) and that these concerns were echoed by members of Crick’s original advisory group. This meant there were two fairly autonomous networks, both embracing the argument that there was a civic and social deficit and that social capital provided a convincing framework within which to analyse the problem and to devise solutions. In exploring this thesis Kisby pulls together a good range of evidence, but at times seems to ignore other factors that would help to sketch in the political context, such as the Third Way. It is easy to forget this now but academics like Anthony Giddens produced a significant amount of work to provide depth to Blair’s rhetoric on the Third Way and this provides an alternative framework through which we could link citizenship education with wider debates about the nature of contemporary citizenship, linking as it does to issues as diverse as local government, welfare policy and constitutional reform.

Kisby’s very clear focus on social capital is interesting because it encourages us to think about the role that this education policy played in the broader political agenda, and this certainly helps to explain why David Blunkett, both in the Department for Education and in the Home Office, remained so wedded to the policy. Although Kisby’s research clearly related to New Labour, it also sheds light on why citizenship has seemed so problematic to the current government, as there do not appear to be similar networks advocating the same agenda in government. Whilst the National Citizen Service is continuing, the idea of active citizenship has not taken hold in other departments.

In the final analysis, Kisby is of course right that many people in New Labour’s circles were

interested in social capital and used that concept to think about and develop policy. He is also undoubtedly right in pointing out how those discussions shed light on the debate about citizenship education policy, and thus help to explain why it had a broader ideological significance than many other educational reforms, such as those narrowly concerned with ‘standards’. However, there is a danger that re-representing all discussions about citizenship as being essentially discussions about social capital also risks misrepresenting the policy and the intent of those who devised it. Kisby’s book represents only part of the ambition of the policy, after all, as Crick most quotably stated in the Crick Report, he was aiming for a “change in the political culture” of the country and wanted to encourage people to “think of themselves as active citizens... equipped to have an influence in public life and with the critical capacities to weigh evidence before speaking and acting” (Advisory Group on Citizenship, 1998). Whilst Kisby demonstrates that an understanding of social capital can help to interpret this ambition, one has to recognise that this is ultimately a vision of citizenship as citizenship, not merely as code for social capital.

The current Lebanese national curriculum... clearly articulates the intent that education programs aim at “creating the citizen” who

“builds a unified and cohesive Lebanese society”... High hopes are attached to civics

and citizenship education because of their ability to reach, and hopefully influence,

over a million enrolled students in schools in Lebanon.

‘‘‘‘


ually...

we all need to feel empoweredLee Jerome revisits an idea from one of his favourite authors to think about the challenge that lies ahead for Citizenship teachers. Whilst Citizenship teachers often talk about empowering young people, we need to think of ourselves as active agents for change too.

everal years ago I was coming to grips with the pressures of running a PGCE and struggling to resolve the tension between the desire to be creative, student centred and take some risks on the one hand, and the certain knowledge that OfSTED would be visiting, would want to see year on year improvement in a narrow range of outcomes, tight quality assurance, consistent partnership across a hundred schools and multiple pieces of evidence for each of the Standards

for QTS. Through these mechanisms of surveillance and control, university PGCE providers were gradually feeling the kind of pressure that had been created in schools – to conform and perform in relation to someone else’s version of what was valuable. Where was the space for professional autonomy, for creativity and for intellectual struggle? I didn’t want to become an administrator of QTS, but I was struggling to find the space to do anything else.

Then I read an article by Michael Fullan which reminded me of the kind of teacher I aspired to be, the kind of teacher I looked up to (both as colleagues and teachers), and the kind of teacher I wanted to qualify from my PGCE course. The obvious answer was a teacher who saw themselves as an agent of change, not a victim of it. Given the tumultuous year we have just experienced, the existential threat the Citizenship community has endured, and the consequent loss of status, drop off in GCSE numbers and threat to quality Citizenship learning in many schools, it seems like a good time to revisit Fullan’s argument and think about how we can proceed.

He argued quite simply that teachers have to see themselves as agents of change, otherwise, how can they be expected to create change? Fullan argued that such teachers had four characteristics:(1) Technical competence – basically (and here I paraphrase)

a change agent has to be able to teach, otherwise they really aren’t going to change anything for the better.

(2) Collaboration – although so much of our everyday practice can be isolating, teachers have to make time and space to work with their colleagues, to share practice, to support one another, to explore common issues.

(3) Inquiry – as teachers we have to ask ourselves (and our colleagues and students) serious questions about our practice and all our students’ progress. Some of the most interesting articles I’ve read have been written by teachers, student teachers and teacher educators worrying away at aspects of their practice, trying to work out what’s working and what needs to be improved. The most effective teachers are always learning so that they can become increasingly effective in bringing about change.

(4) Finally we need to be able to articulate a vision and use our values and principles to anchor us as we are buffeted by policy whimsies, management swagger, and irreconcilable priorities.

One of the best outcomes for me of the DfE curriculum review has been the development of an ACT Council Curriculum Working Group. This is a group of colleagues giving up a few Saturdays and evenings to think together, talk together and try to come up with some positive ways forward to keep what’s best in Citizenship and tackle afresh the weaknesses in our subject. Some of the ideas in this journal reflect their work and there will be more on the website soon. In our own small way we are trying to be change agents, what else could a Citizenship teacher aim to be?

Fullan, M. (1993) ‘Why Teachers Must Become Change Agents’ Educational Leadership, 50 (6). Available on-line at: www.michaelfullan.ca

The Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) is the professional membership association for primary and secondary school teachers involved in delivering citizenship education

Teaching Citizenship is our journal. It is published once a term and is sent direct to all our members. It complements our on-line resources, monthly e-newsletters, and face-to-face training / CPD in schools – all of which are available to members.

ACT membership provides an outstanding opportunity for professional development, whether you’re new to Citizenship or an old hand. We are a teacher-led independent charity with members across the country, and our principal charitable objective is to promote high quality Citizenship teaching and learning.

For teachers, ACT membership is only £35 for the whole year. If you’re not already a member then join now and get your own copy of this journal, together with all the other support we offer to help you improve Citizenship.

To become a member ofACT visit our website:

www/teachingcitizenship.org.uk/membership

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teaching citizenship journal / issue 38 / spring 2014

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