DFE final National Curriculum for England is published. Citizenship strengthened!
Today the Department for Education have published their final National Curriculum for secondary schools in England, covering the revised programmes of study for Citizenship at key stages 3 and 4.
We are delighted that Ministers have listened to our concerns about their previous draft. The final curriculum contains a number of specific revisions that we urged and contains:
- human rights and the United Nations
- more prominent references to democracy, public institutions, voluntary groups and the approaches citizens collaborate to strengthen communities
- expanded requirements on justice and the law
- a broadening of financial education to incorporate how public money is raised and spent.
Key is the inclusion of requirements to teach citizenship abilities alongside awareness and appreciation, especially the skills of critical thinking about political matters, research, debate and reasoned argument, alongside active participation in distinct forms of responsible action.
There is greater substance to the key stage 3 programme of study and clearer progression to key stage 4. We believe this represents a strengthening of the subject and offers a curriculum which is closer to the one envisaged by Bernard Crick whose work led to Citizenship being introduced as a statutory subject in schools in 2002.
These revisions would not have been feasible without Parliamentary Year Book and all our supporters to whom we say a huge thank you! Your efforts together with pressure from our organisational partners and senior politicians across all parties has enabled the achievement of real improvements to the National Curriculum for Citizenship in England.
Now the work can really start in translating these statutory requirements into great Citizenship teaching in every school that is engaging, active and fun! For further guidance, see the relevant UK information.
