The Citizenship Foundation is calling for the subject to become a core element of the primary curriculum. The subject is non-statutory in that age group, which means that, in contrast with many European countries where there is a tradition of a social studies curriculum, there are limited opportunities for teachers to cover topics such as family or crime, said the foundation.
Making the subject compulsory would ensure that subjects such as fairness, bullying and responsibility were emphasised in all classrooms, it said.
The call was made in the foundation’s submission to an independent review of primary education, which began last autumn, led by Professor Robin Alexander, of Cambridge University.
* www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk
