• What is citizenship education?
• Citizenship education beyond 16
• The benefits of post-16 citizenship

What is citizenship education?

Before thinking about what citizenship education is, it is important to consider the meaning of citizenship. This is an area of ongoing public debate, with people holding a range of views about what it means to be a citizen.

In the narrow sense, citizenship means being a legal member of a political community or state, usually because of where you live, where you were born or family ties. It involves having certain rights, responsibilities and duties - legal, social and moral.

In a broader sense, citizenship means being a responsible and active citizen - showing an interest in issues that concern the community or state and acting with others to achieve agreed aims. In this context, people can act like a citizen and make their voice heard even if they don't have legal status as a citizen.

Citizenship education is concerned with this broader definition - it is relevant to everyone, regardless of their legal or residential status, and is a continual and lifelong process. Citizenship education equips young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding to play an active, effective part in society as informed, critical citizens who are socially and morally responsible. It aims to give them the confidence and conviction that they can act with others, have influence and make a difference in their communities (locally, nationally and globally).

In 1998, the report Education for Citizenship and the Teaching of Democracy in Schools stated that the following three principles should be present in all citizenship education:

• social and moral responsibility - learning from an early age to behave with self-confidence and in a socially and morally responsible way within and beyond the classroom, both to those in authority and towards each other
• community involvement - learning about becoming involved in the life and concerns of communities, including learning through community involvement and service to the community
• political literacy - learning about, and how to take part in and influence, public life through knowledge, skills and values.
  
  

All citizenship education should also involve young people in active citizenship - making decisions and taking action both in organisations where they learn and in wider communities. Research and experience have shown that citizenship education is most effective when it involves active learning and is led by young people themselves. The case studies provide examples of citizenship activities.

Citizenship education beyond 16

Citizenship became a statutory in August 2002. Since then, schools have been required to teach the programmes of study for citizenship to all pupils in key stages 3 and 4 (11-16-year-olds).

However, a growing number of people are now recognising that citizenship education is equally important beyond 16. In 2000, the report Citizenship for 16-19 year olds in Education and Training (FEFC) stated that:

'Young adults will only be able to realise their full potential as active and effective members of society at large, and of all kinds of public and voluntary bodies, if those responsible for their education, training, employment and other forms of development provide the necessary models and learning environments for active and participative citizenship.'

This emphasis on the importance of post-16 citizenship was reinforced by the report of the working group on (chaired by Mike Tomlinson). This identified citizenship as being central for all learners and proposed that active citizenship and international awareness should be a component of the 'common skills'. It also suggestede that young people should carry out an extended personal research project and wider activities that reflect their personal interests and enrich their lives by engaging them as active citizens in their communities. The report recommended that these activities should be recognised in the diploma framework for 14-19 learning.

The benefits of post-16 citizenship

Post-16 citizenship that includes active citizenship:

• prepares young people for the challenges and opportunities of adult and working life
• teaches them about rights and responsibilities
• helps them to understand how society works
• equips them to play a full part in the democratic process
• increases their motivation for learning
• develops their confidence and self-esteem
• involves them in active learning about real issues and problems
• gives young people the citizenship skills they need to work with others on issues that concern them.

In line with many current government initiatives, post-16 citizenship also encourages the inclusion and increased participation of young people. Providers have reported that when young people are consulted regularly on issues that affect them (and in particular on citizenship activities), their attitude tends to become more positive. In turn, this can lead to improved attendance and retention. In the words of the Chief Executive of Camden Jobtrain:

'The benefits of citizenship to our training agency have been immeasurable. Due to the opportunities for personal development, our retention rates have improved significantly.'

In the longer run, introducing post-16 citizenship will also have important benefits for society as a whole. Young people who have taken part in active citizenship are more likely to demonstrate skills, knowledge and attitudes as responsible, active and engaged citizens. As the advisory group chaired by Bernard Crick stated in its report Education for citizenship and the teaching of democracy in schools (QCA, 1998):

'We aim at no less than a change in the political culture of this country: for people to think of themselves as active citizens, willing, able and equipped to have an influence in public life and with the crucial capacities to weigh evidence before speaking and acting; to build on and radically extend to young people the best in existing traditions of volunteering and public service, and to make them individually confident in finding new forms among themselves.'

In the same year, the Lord Chancellor gave strong support to this view:

'We should not, must not, dare not, be complacent about the health and future of British democracy. Unless we become a nation of engaged citizens, our democracy is not secure.'