UK National Commission joins Democratic Life
The UK National Commission has joined Democratic Life (www.democraticlife.org.uk), a coalition bringing together organisations such as the Citizenship Foundation, British Youth Council, Hansard Society and Amnesty International in support of citizenship education. Citizenship education – through teaching about politics, the law and the economy and rights and responsibilities – is essential for preparing all young people for effective participation in our shared democratic life.
Professor Lynn Davies from the UK National Commission for UNESCO said:
Keeping citizenship as a statutory subject is integral if we want to better prepare students in England for the challenges of an increasingly complex and interdependent world. Citizenship provides young people with the skills, knowledge and understanding to actively participate in our society at local, national and international levels. It teaches students about important global issues such as human rights and the United Nations and encourages students to critically reflect on and take action on issues that are important to them.”
Citizenship is a key vehicle in the delivery of study themes for the UNESCO Associated Schools network and in promoting the values of UNESCO such as human rights, peace, tolerance and sustainable development and cultural diversity. The provision of citizenship as a distinct, statutory subject helps to ensure that the UK is compliant with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove MP, has recently announced that he is reviewing the National Curriculum subject by subject. While he’s been very vocal about his commitment to English, maths and sciences and his intention to revive history, his commitment to citizenship education is still not known. This is a cause for concern and Democratic Life is working to ensure that citizenship education’s unique contribution to the National Curriculum is recognised by the Coalition Government.
Written: 17/12/2010 , last modified: 20/12/2010
