Calls for discrimination against citizenship teachers to end

The Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACT) is calling on the government to take “urgent action to change policies that are discriminating against citizenship teachers”.

Research conducted by ACT, which is set to be presented to the House of Lords Committee on Citizenship and Civic engagement tomorrow, 18 October, is expected to show that current policy is creating “significant barriers” to those who want to train as citizenship specialist teachers, and for existing teachers who want to progress their careers.

ACT research presented to the House of Lords Committee on Citizenship and Civic engagement on Wednesday 18 October, will show that current policy is creating significant barriers to those who want to train as citizenship specialist teachers, and for existing teachers who want to progress their careers.

According to ACT, potential trainee teachers are being denied access to initial teacher education because of high fees and living costs and the reduction of PGCE teacher training courses across the country.

The association also says that Bradford College, for the first time since 2002, the PGCE course has failed to recruit and numbers are down in Sheffield, Leicester and Christ Canterbury University in Kent. The numbers training through other teacher training routes such as School Centered Initial Teacher Training is unclear.

ACT states that citizenship traditionally attracts trainees from a diverse range of backgrounds including those from the most economic and socially disadvantaged parts of the country, and a high proportion of BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) trainees.

Government figures show that just 15 per cent of those on graduate teacher training courses are from BAME communities.

The current PGCE courses for Citizenship in London at UCL, Institute of Education and Kingston University have over 70 per cent of BAME trainees.

PGCE course tutors have reported significant difficulties with recruitment and find potential trainees are switching to subjects that offer bursaries, or are pulling out all together for financial reasons. Currently, Citizenship teacher trainees have no access to teacher training bursaries to help pay fees.

Liz Moorse, chief executive of ACT said: “Citizenship teachers are nationally important assets to be valued and we need to create opportunities so there are more of them, not less.

“Citizenship is a statutory National Curriculum subject that provides essential teaching about democracy, politics, equalities and anti-extremist education as well as developing politically engaged and active citizens. The subject plays a critical role in the wider agendas of British Values, social inclusion and Prevent. Every school needs a trained Citizenship teacher to lead the subject.

“We are calling for the government, Ofsted and the National College to take urgent action to ensure policies are changed so they are inclusive, not exclusive of Citizenship and Citizenship teachers.”