Tag Archives: Politics
Alastair Campbell backs citizenship education campaign
Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell has come out in support of citizenship education. With Conservative education minister Michael Gove having pledged to ‘slim down’ the list of core subjects as part of his curriculum review, the future of citizenship is in doubt. But Tony Blair’s former communications chief has responded by penning a defence of the subject for Democratic Life [...]
Future of citizenship uncertain as curriculum review is launched
The future of citizenship education is uncertain today after the government launched its review of the National Curriculum by pledging to slim down the number of core subjects and give schools greater control. While citizenship is optional at primary school age, it is one of just seven subjects that are statutory for high school students [...]
PSHE teachers to be given more freedom
The government has stressed the importance of PSHE in the battle against drug and alcohol misuse and announced that teachers will be given more flexibility to deliver lessons in the future. The new drug strategy emphasised the importance of education and stated that pupils should continue to be taught about the effects of drugs, including [...]
‘Pressure groups have too much influence on curriculum’
Pressure groups have too much control over the National Curriculum, researchers have warned. Cambridge University’s National Curriculum study also states that continuous changes to the curriculum are encouraging a “tick list” approach to teaching and that, with subjects such as citizenship and PSHE having been introduced over the last decade, teachers are being “overloaded”. Report [...]
Blunkett bids to secure citizenship education’s future
David Blunkett MP has called for the government to commit to the future of citizenship education. The former education secretary tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) expressing his concern that, as part of the government’s National Curriculum reform, citizenship education may become a non-statutory subject. He went on to highlight the value of the subject, [...]
MPs told that citizenship should be taught in PRUs
Teachers and researchers have told MPs that pupil referral units (PRUs) should offer citizenship education. During a meeting held in Westminster yesterday, Labour and Conservative MPs heard that research carried out by education charity the Citizenship Foundation had found the subject to be extremely relevant to young people who have reduced access to their rights. Caroline Lendon from [...]
Government cuts hit PSHE and citizenship
Quangos responsible for tackling teenage pregnancy, child health and alcohol education will be axed according to leaked government plans. A document released by the BBC appears to detail 180 taxpayer-funded groups that the Conservative-Liberal coalition will abolish, 17 of which are currently supported by the department for education. Among the casualties is the School Food Trust - the body created by the Labour government following Jamie Oliver’s healthy schools [...]
Labour MP leads new bid for compulsory sex education
A Labour MP has announced that he will continue his party’s fight to make sex education compulsory by launching a new bill later this month. Rhondda MP Chris Bryant will tell MPs that if the UK is to shed its title as teenage pregnancy capital of western Europe, then all children must attend sex and [...]
Kids tell government to support citizenship education
Children have used a face-to-face meeting with senior politicians to stress the importance of citizenship education. At a Citizenship Foundation charity event, young people shared their experiences of the subject and explained to Nick Hurd, minister for civil society, and the attorney general, Dominic Grieve, that the government should support citizenship classes in schools. The [...]
AV and ‘first past the post’ explained