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Where now for political literacy?

Extra curricular Resources and projects Curriculum Skills
Political literacy and citizenship education are at risk as provision is haphazard and reduced. But our democracy is at stake. It is vital we consider political education across the curriculum, says Matteo Bergamini


There needs to be consideration by Parliamentarians of whether citizenship studies or politics should be a compulsory curriculum subject.

Seventy-two per cent of parents “agree” or “strongly agree” that it is important for children to be taught about politics in school. They attribute equal importance to politics as they do to subjects like chemistry, history and geography (Weinberg, 2021).

The question of how to increase political literacy among young people is a debate MPs periodically return to. It is what underpinned the 1998 research – known as The Crick Report – published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (1998) setting out the vision and ambition for citizenship education. Citizenship studies was added to the national curriculum in England in 2002.

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