The latest Office for Standards in Education review of citizenship is well worth looking up (National curriculum citizenship: planning and implementation 20023 at www.ofsted.gov.uk). As you noted (TES, July 4), many schools have struggled to get to grips with citizenship, and the review highlights key points for schools to act upon.
The Association for Citizenship Teaching is here to help all its members implement this new and essential addition to the curriculum. Through our conferences, journals, networks and events, we are well aware of the challenges that citizenship faces. The delegates who attended our conferences this year do not regard citizenship “as a joke”. We are frequently informed of the enormous potential that citizenship offers children and their communities. Children who are involved in the creation of their own projects, who are given real responsibility and respect, tend to improve in their behaviour and achievements.
Our children have the right - and the need - to know how they relate to the world around them. For all our sakes.
Will Ord Professional officer Association for Citizenship Teaching www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk
