THE CURRICULUM - CITIZENSHIP

What is Citizenship?

The purposes of Citizenship Education are:

• Promoting opportunities for spiritual, moral, social & cultural development.
• Promoting key skills, including communication, application of number, ICT, working with others, improving own learning and performance, and problem solving.
• Promoting thinking skills, financial capability, enterprise & entrepreneurial skills, work-related learning, and education for sustainable development.

The Three Strands or areas of Citizenship Education are:

1. Knowledge and understanding about becoming informed citizens

• Legal and human rights and responsibilities, basic aspects of the criminal justice system.
• National, regional, religious & ethnic identities - need for mutual respect and understanding.
• Central and local government, public services and finance.
• Key features of parliament & government.
• Elections and their importance.
• The work of community, national and international voluntary groups.
• The importance of resolving conflict fairly.
• The significance of the media in society.
• The global community, the EU, Commonwealth & UN.

2. Developing skills of enquiry and communication

Pupils should be taught to:

• Think about political, spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues, problems and events by analysing information and sources, including ICT based sources.
• Justify orally, and in writing, a personal opinion about issues, problems or events.
• Contribute to group discussions, including debates.

3. Developing skills of participation and responsible action

Pupils should be taught to:

• Use their imagination to consider other people's experiences and explain views that are not their own.
• Take part in school, and community-based activities.
• Reflect on the process of participating.