OVER-PRESCRIPTIVE CURRICULUM SQUEEZES OUT CITIZENSHIP - MULHOLLAND
January 25, 2007 12:00 AM
Commenting on Alan Johnson's acceptance of a Government commissioned report warning citizenship classes had not emphasised British identity strongly enough,
Liberal Democrat Schools Spokesperson, Greg Mulholland MP said:
"Citizenship classes are too often sidelined by schools under excessive pressure to meet Government targets. There's a danger that subjects that don't contribute to a school's position in the league tables aren't taken seriously.
"Sticking a teacher, whose specialism is in another subject, in front of class with a few worksheets and telling them to 'teach citizenship' simply isn't good enough.
"British pupils aren't taught enough about their local history. They are more likely to study life in Nazi Germany than learn about a civil war battle that happened two fields over from their school, or a debate about women's suffrage that happened in their city hall.
"Alan Johnson is right to say more time should be found to teach pupils about their British heritage - but it is this government's over-prescriptive curriculum that has squeezed it out of the classroom."
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