Citizenship education – Select Committee report

8 March 2007

Commenting on the House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee Report on citizenship education, published today, Thursday 8 March, Steve Sinnott, NUT General Secretary, said:

“The success of schools’ councils is due to their proven positive effect on teaching and learning and the engagement of youngsters.  They give students a voice in the life of their schools. If the Government made schools’ councils a requirement, they would be seen as an imposition, setting back their development.

“I am concerned that the Select Committee does not examine developments in Wales where virtually every school has a council and their progress is being monitored.

“There is a need to increase the numbers of teacher training places in citizenship.  The Select Committee is right to highlight the current inadequacy of places.

“There is also a vital need to free up the curriculum, particularly in primary schools, so that citizenship can be included.

“Specialist schools in citizenship may work but only if such schools are required to share their citizenship programmes with other schools.”