Schools inspector calls for better citizenship teaching

The Chief Inspector of Schools, David Bell, has called for an improvement in the quality of citizenship teaching in schools.

Recent evidence, provided by education regulator, Ofsted, revealed that citizenship teaching, which became a statutory requirement in schools two years ago, was the worst taught subject at secondary level.

Delivering a speech to the Hansard Society, Mr Bell said that it was "disappointing" that a quarter were deemed to be substandard.

He said: "The high level of unsatisfactory teaching of citizenship is unacceptable when one considers the important role this subject has to play in providing an opportunity to discuss the public dimension of pupils' development, including their rights and responsibilities. The government and school managers must take urgent action to address this."

The Ofsted survey, an ICM polls of teachers and pupils aged between 14 – 16, who are currently studying citizenship, found that while only one in four pupils could identify the correct balance of power in the House of Commons, 45 per cent did not think it was important for them to learn more about the political parties. Almost all of the pupils surveyed (95%) could identify Tony Blair, but only 16% knew who Michael Howard was, while only 10% could identify Charles Kennedy.

Another aspect of the citizenship classes is to encourage understanding and respect for the diversity of national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the UK. Seventy per cent of pupils and teachers surveyed by Ofsted, thought that pupils needed to learn more about cultural diversity in Britain, but 40% of pupils in the north were opposed to this.

The Ofsted survey also noted a significant growth in the number of independent faith schools. It stated that there are now around 250 such schools, including 100 Muslim, 50 Jewish and 100 evangelical Christian schools. Mr Bell accepted that parents should be allowed to choose how their children were educated but warned: "Faith should not be blind". He said: "I worry that many young people are being educated in faith, with little appreciation of their wider responsibilities and obligations to British society."

Mr Bell called for "carefully, but sensitively" monitoring of this growth to ensure that all pupils received an understanding of other faiths, as well as the wider tenets of British society. He said: "We must not allow recognition of diversity to become apathy in the face of any challenge to our coherence as a nation. We must be intolerant of intolerance."

Mr Bell's speech also emphasised the importance of citizenship as service and the need to encourage students through participation and responsible action., in activities such as school councils, charitable activities and community service.

(KMcA/SP)