The recent rioting, looting and violence in English cities reinforces the case for strengthening Citizenship education in our schools
Citizenship educators are in a unique position to be able to engage their learners in conversation about the riots; developing pupils’ thinking around concepts such as personal responsibilities towards each other on the one hand and the government’s responsibilities towards its citizens on the other.
Citizenship education encourages educators to use current affairs in their teaching and to enable learners to develop thinking on controversial and sensitive topics. The three key concepts of the current programme of study in Citizenship are:
- Democracy and Justice;
- Rights and Responsibilities;
- Identities and Diversity.
Developing an appreciation of these key concepts is crucial in equipping younger people to engage with the world around them and preparing them for an adult life of active participation in society and public life.
Ensuring that younger people have an entitlement to excellent education for citizenship and democratic participation is essential for achieving a society with responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
The key concepts offer a perfect educational context for educators and learners to explore concepts of justice, democracy, rights and responsibilities for instance regarding looting, “stop and search”, who or what is to “blame” for the course of activities and who or what is responsible for repairing the damage and fixing the problems that led to the events and their escalation. This work can be linked to other work in Citizenship education such as learning about the function of Parliament and the legal system.
The Association for Citizenship Teaching have produced excellent teaching resources for teachers exploring some of the issues raised by the civil unrest. For further guidance, see the relevant UK information.
