Session Information
Session 10B, Network 10 papers
Papers
Time:
2002-09-14
11:00-12:30
Room:
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences Room 8
Chair:
Gill Venn
Contribution
This paper explores the moral and social dimension of citizenship education. While concern with the social dimension of the curriculum in schools is not a recent interest, changes within society during the 1990s have accelerated the social demands made upon schools. One expectation that society has of the education system is that schools will correct the behaviour of children and help to develop a value system in pupils, which usually means insisting on 'good' behaviour. In the same way the character education is understood as an approach to moral education and through the socialisation process in school both social and moral literacy is assumed. The National Curriculum guidance document for Citizenship at Key Stages 3 and 4 (QCA, 1999) presents citizenship as monolithic and contains only passing reference to the development of character. However, the government's White and Green Papers have added to this by insisting that character education be introduced through citizenship education. Consequently, teacher training courses in Citizenship introduced in 2001 for secondary schools will need to incorporate these developments into what they teach and how they prepare students. This paper will explore, through semi-structured interviews, the perceptions of both staff and students in teacher training institutions about how they understand the social and moral demands being placed upon them. Comparisons will be made with other European countries, particularly France. This paper argues that children require opportunities to experience moral and social relations in such a way that they are able to operate critically within value-laden discourse communities and thereby become informed and ethically- empowered, active citizens. Their character traits and dispositions therefore need to be developed, but to what extent should schools be involved in this process? Do we have lessons to learn from other European countries in this respect?
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