I was quite bewildered as to what Education for Citizenship would possibly be. Would this be like saluting the flag stuff like the Americans ? Surely not. No, it turns out to be nothing like that at all, and though looking at some evaluation studies I can see some point in certain aspects, I can’t really see how this more than woolly curriculum as it is developing, can meld our children into respectful citizens (in fact, some of the issues seem determined to foster rather selfish ideals.)
I was quite bewildered as to what Education for Citizenship would possibly be. Would this be like saluting the flag stuff like the Americans ? Surely not. No, it turns out to be nothing like that at all, and though looking at some evaluation studies I can see some point in certain aspects, I can’t really see how this more than woolly curriculum as it is developing, can meld our children into respectful citizens (in fact, some of the issues seem determined to foster rather selfish ideals.) I find it difficult to believe that we can have citizenship education without a political definition of what a citizen actually is.
A review reported by the EPPI Centre identified Citizenship Education as:
· The moral and social development of students ( this is sufficiently broad anyway)
· Political literacy (I rhink this gets worse )
· Community involvement (to do what exactly ?)
One example of practical activity in the classroom detailed how students had a talk from teachers about listening to each other and sharing equipment, and then had some homework activity about a road traffic accident casualty who died when refused entry to a whites-only hospital. The students’ response were said to be emotive. So, yes, wouldn’t it be. Do we have whites-only hospitals in Britain. I don’t think so.
Another school curriculum include items on student loans, taxation, transport and housing. Also “the students work together in communities and each community presents a consensus view to a “planning committee”. Other students look at influencing decisions.
You know I can see the point of using activities to get students to get students thinking creatively and critically, but I don’t see how this progresses us in understanding what being a citizen is. Or do you think differently ?
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