Report cover
In May 2006 the DfES set up the Diversity and Citizenship Review Group and commissioned a research review on 'Diversity and Citizenship in the Curriculum' to inform the work of the group. This provided the background for this DfES report 'Diversity and Citizenship: Curriculum Review'. Click on links below for the Research Review and the DfES Curriculum Review reports.
The report, by a former headteacher Sir Keith Ajegbo, was commissioned in the wake of the London bombings on 7 July and sets out to examine how well schools in England are coping with delivering the new compulsory citizenship lessons that were introduced just over two years ago.
The key findings include:
- Despite much good practice in schools the quality and quantity of education for diversity are uneven across England.
- Links with the community - a rich resource for education for diversity - are often tenuous or non-existent.
- Some white pupils have negative perceptions of their own identity. White children in areas where the ethnic composition is mixed can often suffer labelling and discrimination.
- Discrimination based on racial hierarchies has not disappeared and stereotypes still exist in society.
- Many teachers do not see the link between their subject and education for diversity and are unaware of how to deal with it. They are hampered by a lack of resources and insufficient training in how to use them effectively.
- Schools do not recognise the clear link between the promotion of education for diversity and the raising of educational standards.
The report's key proposal is that the secondary curriculum for Citizenship Education should encourage societal and community cohesion through an understanding of shared values. The curriculum will, therefore, include a new element entitled 'Identity and Diversity: Living Together in the UK'. This will cover multinational state of the UK, immigration, the Commonwealth and legacy of Empire, the European Union, the legacy of slavery, universal suffrage and equal opportunity legislation.
The report argues for the need to promote an understanding of "Britishness" among white pupils - particularly in areas where they may not have met anyone from a minority ethnic group. It is also important to address the fact that some teachers in these areas are reluctant to deal with issues of diversity in the classroom.
In accepting the main recommendations of the report, Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Education, said:
Schools 'can and should play a lead role in creating greater cohesion. The values our children learn will shape the country Britain becomes. We are a nation built from and by people from other countries. We should celebrate our history and how it has created today's diversity, recognising the role played by immigrants in our success'. (The Guardian January 26, 2007).
The full DfES report can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.
A commentary by Peter Brett published on the Citized website is also available below.
Authors :
Pat East and Sui-Mee Chan, London Metropolitan University
Article Id :
13123
Date Posted:
30/1/2007