“What does politics have to do with me!”
According to low voting turnouts in the UK, this is the attitude of the young generations of our society.
What has the above questions to do with active citizenship? Why is it important in today’s society? First, let’s look at some poignant statistics behind the need to ask these questions: Voting statistics confirm the growing concern indicated above; namely,‘that people aged 18-24 were least likely to vote (47% turnout), with those over 65 most likely to vote (74%).’ (Uberoi, 2023)
Ultimately, it is clear that without full, informed participation of younger generations, our democracy can never be a truly representative one. Quite simply, if the younger generations don’t vote, for example, then how can they expect their interests to be represented?
Do the statistics represent all demographics, all social groups? No! (‘Crick Report’ QCA 1998) For example, the upper middle class youth engage in youth councils, youth parliaments, youth boards and other formal structures. Some young people engage with local, regional and national programmes in which they elect their peers to represent their views and take part in campaigns and votes on youth-focused issues. Why? Because there is an inequality of provision; fee paying schools place more value on citizenship education, and the upper middle class youth have more exposure to it, a stronger understanding of the importance of such things as the ‘vote’. (Weinberg, 2021)
How can ALL students create a change to this seemingly ‘indifference’ to ‘making a difference!
Igniting a political interest can start within the home!
We can presume that a young child will not be naturally drawn by a political topic about voting – however, Bernstein (2003) claims that middle class homes tend to promote a collaborative climate of debate from the moment their children can knowingly engage. Debates, discussions and decision-making contexts all serve to reinforce and emulate the key features of our democracy! Discussions with politically active parents will also serve to fuel further political interests and increase the likelihood of future political engagement. (Hoskins and Janmaat, J.G. ,2019)
Igniting a political interest can be reinforced within schools!
We need to encourage a ‘culture’ where being actively engaged in politics is regarded as the ‘norm’. It is not enough that the state legally oblige schools to give some token gesture towards a citizenship component within the current curriculum:.
“Legal rights alone are insufficient! We require active citizens to maintain and develop these rights’; fully educated, informed and equipped to make a difference! (T.H. Marshall Citizenship and Social Class 1950))
Education is at the heart of policies to create active citizenship!
The new vision of an active citizenship programme will embrace the educational ethos and approach of a ‘critical citizenship model’. What this means is that, not only will the youth be educated in the mechanics and processes of our Government; ranging from Westerminster to the Houses of Parliament and the first-past-the-post voting system (Electoral Reform Society, 2017) but also encourage active participation – via social and political activities – to challenge the current political status quo and encourage social change. (Hong, 2018) Critical Citizenship examines the power dynamics between nations and social groups and minimises disparities’ ‘.
Fact: the critical citizenship model has questionable impact encouraging social change and challenges injustices. However, it’s underpinning rationale and ethos remains valuable to develop further as our democracy continues to weaken (education.ec.europa.eu, n.d.)
Our new vision of citizenship education will be to make it a specialised subject, using a cross-curricular approach, and use less conventional teaching and learning methods. In order to effectively engage pupils, citizenship education should go beyond “one size fits all” techniques and foster critical thinking.
How will this new vision of citizenship in school be designed and implemented?
‘Learning by doing!’
‘Learning by actively challenging the current political status quo’!
‘All personalised materials and activities will be centred around an educational ethos that promotes the idea that ‘learning by doing’ is best’. (Education, Democracy and Inequality, n.d.)
Furthermore, there will be no passivity throughout the learning process (unlike the passivity demonstrated by the voting process!!) (Hoskins and Janmaat, J.G. ,2019)
Active citizenship should come in the form of active engagement in knowledge activities from reception to Secondary school.
Active Citizenship will be developed further from the 2002 Education Act regarding SMSC and be a formalised qualification at GCSE and then the option to take at A level. This will provide a solid understanding of the mechanisms of government and how our democracy works. As it will be taught as a specific subject – it is hoped that it will be more valued and internalised with other curriculum subjects encouraged to make synoptic links via their respective learning objectives. Underpinning this active learning journey, will be a constant expectation that students can challenge the current political status quo.
A ‘taster’ of how this will be formatted within the school curriculum
Scaffolding political knowledge gained as a ‘specialist subject’, schools then encourage cross-curricular and extra-curricular active reinforcement and application; namely,
Debating societies to discuss crucial political issues in school and majority vote issues (to emulate our current representative democratic political system).
Student campaigning; writing to local MPs regarding issues in their borough (eg lack of youth centres).
MPS will be invited in, as part of the curriculum, so that students can engage in ‘question time’; as is the protocol in Parliament. Information will then be shared about how young people can make change within our current democratic system.
As the following source indicates, (Weinberg, 2021), this approach is not the typical emphasis of schools but would that we strongly advocate.
Provisions of democratic education 2013
Policy priorities of young people are not those of politicians!!
What does it mean for electoral politics if young people don’t vote? Quite simply, your interests don’t get heard!
Tuition fees, affordable house, living wage jobs, environmentalism…. The list goes on. See figure 2.
It is incredibly promising that the youth of today actively politically participate and engage when it comes to some of the above issues, but, the fact remains that the voting turnout remains a serious cause for concern. 2013
What do parents think about this new vision of citizenship?……
“Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of democratic education as a feature of English secondary schooling…Yet, despite parents’ support for democratic education, “half of parents retain concerns about ideological bias in the classroom.” (Gruen, 2011) Our response to the above concerns: political knowledge is political knowledge. Armed with such knowledge, the formulation of opinions and ideologies will always be student-driven – not teacher-led!!!
References:
Uberoi, E. (2023). Turnout at Elections Summary 1 National Parliament Elections 2 Devolved Administrations 3 Local Elections 4 European Parliament Elections 5 Appendix. [online] Available at: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8060/CBP-8060.pdf.
Weinberg, J. (2021). THE MISSING LINK AN UPDATED EVALUATION OF THE PROVISION, PRACTICE AND POLITICS OF DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION IN ENGLISH SECONDARY SCHOOLS. [online] Available at: https://www.shoutoutuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/REPORT_souk2021_view_v8-1.pdf.
Hoskins and Janmaat, J.G. (2019). Education, Democracy and Inequality: Political Engagement and Citizenship Education in Europe. London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://www.springer.com/gb/book/9781137489753
Electoral Reform Society (2017). First Past the Post. [online] Electoral-reform.org.uk. Available at: https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/voting-systems/types-of-voting-system/first-past-the-post/.
Hong, J.E. (2018). Critical Citizenship Education Through Geography. International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research, [online] 5(3). Available at: https://dc.uwm.edu/ijger/vol5/iss3/7/.
education.ec.europa.eu. (n.d.). Insightful issue paper on citizenship education | European Education Area. [online] Available at: https://education.ec.europa.eu/news/insightful-issue-paper-on-citizenship-education#:~:text=Citizenship%20education%20is%20most%20effective.
Education, Democracy and Inequality. (n.d.). SpringerLink. [online] Available at: https://www.springer.com/gb/book/9781137489753.
T.H. Marshall Citizenship and Social Class 1950)
Gruen, L. ed., (2011). Animal protection. [online] Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/ethics-and-animals/animal-protection/1FDB317E81F3E69B034354D5D0FCDA40
Bibliography
education.ec.europa.eu. (n.d.). Insightful issue paper on citizenship education | European Education Area. [online] Available at: https://education.ec.europa.eu/news/insightful-issue-paper-on-citizenship-education#:~:text=Citizenship%20education%20is%20most%20effective.
Education, Democracy and Inequality. (n.d.). SpringerLink. [online] Available at: https://www.springer.com/gb/book/9781137489753.
Electoral Reform Society (2017). First Past the Post. [online] Electoral-reform.org.uk. Available at: https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/voting-systems/types-of-voting-system/first-past-the-post/.
Gruen, L. ed., (2011). Animal protection. [online] Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/ethics-and-animals/animal-protection/1FDB317E81F3E69B034354D5D0FCDA40
Hong, J.E. (2018). Critical Citizenship Education Through Geography. International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research, [online] 5(3). Available at: https://dc.uwm.edu/ijger/vol5/iss3/7/.
Hoskins and Janmaat, J.G. (2019). Education, Democracy and Inequality: Political Engagement and Citizenship Education in Europe. London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://www.springer.com/gb/book/9781137489753
T.H. Marshall Citizenship and Social Class 1950)
Uberoi, E. (2023). Turnout at Elections Summary 1 National Parliament Elections 2 Devolved Administrations 3 Local Elections 4 European Parliament Elections 5 Appendix. [online] Available at: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8060/CBP-8060.pdf.
Weinberg, J. (2021). THE MISSING LINK AN UPDATED EVALUATION OF THE PROVISION, PRACTICE AND POLITICS OF DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION IN ENGLISH SECONDARY SCHOOLS. [online] Available at: https://www.shoutoutuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/REPORT_souk2021_view_v8-1.pdf.