This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Education for citizenship in schools
07/06/2002
Pupils are to learn about their rights and responsibilities as citizens as part of the school curriculum.
Recommendations made in the Education for Citizenship in Scotland report, published today and endorsed by the Executive, will form the basis for a national framework on education for citizenship from the ages of 3 to 18.
They include:
- A development programme to provide guidance and support on matters such as teaching and learning, assessment and approaches to evaluation of provision
- Identification of needs for pre-service education and continuing professional development
- Support for networking and information exchange and for the promotion of partnership across sectors
- Systematic national monitoring, evaluation and reporting on progress
Launching the report at Kingswells Primary School in Aberdeen, Deputy Education Minister Nicol Stephen said:
"Education for citizenship is not a new concept. It is a central part of education in the United States and many European countries. There is now very wide support amongst teachers, parents and politicians for citizenship education in Scotland.
"Many young people are turned off by politics, and feel alienated from society. Education for citizenship helps children to learn about political, economic, social and cultural issues. It focuses on the '3 Rs' - rights, responsibilities and respect. Citizenship is now one of the National Priorities for education and everything a school does should reflect values of positive citizenship.
"This new publication will be vital in promoting the growing importance of education for citizenship in Scottish education."
Mr Stephen continued:
"Education for citizenship offers great potential for positive change. Excellent initiatives are already taking place in schools and communities across the country. Here at Kingswells, P1 and P2 classes include work on the importance of co-operation and taking account of each other's needs. The school has also developed links with the City Council to give pupils first hand experience of the issues faced by local government.
"All children and young people must have the opportunity to freely debate the knowledge, skills and values associated with citizenship. I hope that this debate will lead them to the conviction that being active and responsible citizens will benefit them as individuals and our society as a whole."
The Executive asked Learning and Teaching Scotland to produce a national statement and associated guidance on education for citizenship. The principal focus was on clarifying the role of formal education (pre-school and school) in equipping young people aged 3-18 as citizens.
A national Review Group was established, chaired by Pamela Munn, Professor of Curriculum Research at Edinburgh University. This carried out a wide-ranging consultation to obtain views from education authorities, schools, pupils, educationalists and the general public.
The National Priorities for Education are part of the improvement framework set out in the Standards in Scotland's Schools Act 2000. One of the National Priorities is: 'To work with parents to teach pupils respect for self and one another and their interdependence with other members of their neighbourhood and society and to teach them the duties and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society.'
Learning and Teaching Scotland is a national public body sponsored by the Executive Education Department. It provides advice, support, resources and staff development on all matters relating to the curriculum in the pre-school, primary and secondary education sectors in Scotland.