Citation
(2003), "New citizenship projects turn apathy into action", Education + Training, Vol. 45 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2003.00445bab.006
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
New citizenship projects turn apathy into action
New citizenship projects turn apathy into action
A mixture of secondary schools, colleges, training organizations, local authorities and youth groups – some 36 organizations in total – have started pilot citizenship projects for 16-19 year olds.
Working in nine consortia across England, they are involving young people in a range of activities – running campaigns, participating in youth councils, holding events and setting up Web sites.
The programme aims to help young people in further education and work-based learning to be able to answer questions such as:
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How can I have a positive effect on real-life situations as I get older?
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What skills should I develop to make a difference to things?
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What do I need to know and understand to do this?
The focus is not on classroom teaching, but on empowering young people to become involved in decision making. Among the projects are proposals to:
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set up youth councils and involve young people in local decision making;
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develop citizenship websites;
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organise a "diversity week";
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hold an event mirroring parliamentary question time, with students taking on the role of whips; and
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run attitude and awareness surveys.
The first round of projects builds on the achievements of the first 11 projects, which started in September 2001. These projects include:
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a series of citizenship conferences organised and run for local young people by travel and tourism students in Rochdale;
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a youth forum, set up by a consortium of schools, colleges, community projects and other organizations in Leicester; and
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a project shadowing recent asylum seekers at an employment-training company in Camden.
During the development period, the aim is to establish models of good practice in citizenship education, test out different approaches to the curriculum and pilot ways of linking education and training providers with voluntary and community organizations.
The drive to introduce citizenship into mainstream and post-16 education follows a vigorous campaign, led by Sir Bernard Crick, which presented a strong case for all young people to have an entitlement to education for citizenship. Crick noted the "worrying levels of apathy, ignorance and cynicism about public life" and stressed the need for young adults to have the opportunity to "learn about their rights and responsibilities, to understand how society works and to enhance the skills they need in order to be active citizens".