PSA Response to the Call for Evidence on the Curriculum & Assessment Review 

A huge thank you to the PSA members who contributed their views to the curriculum and assessment review for England (covering all key stages 1-5, ages 5-19) to ensure young people are prepared for life and work. It was fantastic to hear from students, teachers and researchers including experts in young people’s politics and political literacy.

The PSA also worked with several organisations in responding to the review including the Association of Citizenship Teaching (ACT), the Academy of Social Sciences (AcCS), the British Academy (BA) and the Orwell Foundation.

We were particularly interested in your feedback/views:

• If you had evidence around the impact of the English education system on our young people’s engagement in politics/democracy.
• Your personal experience of studying and/or teaching citizenship, Government and politics at GCSE, A-level or as part of other qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate
• What you believe needs to change to provide the best curriculum to prepare young people to be active citizens and prepared for the world of undergraduate study and work?

Your insightful and considered views have been incorporated into the PSA’s response with  our findings covering  five main inter-related areas:

• A-level Government & Politics is a robust qualification which prepares students for work, active citizenship and further study, but can be improved to be even more effective.
• We need to provide more opportunities for pupils to study Government, Politics and Democracy at school, especially in less privileged areas in England.
• Many within the Political Studies community and beyond see the UK’s lack of compulsory citizenship/political education a disservice to our young people. And young people are calling for this too!
• Bolstering political, media and citizenship education in the national curriculum will help equip young people for future study, employment and citizenship. And doing so will help the Government achieve its five missions for a better Britain.
• Achieving the Government’s mission of breaking down barriers at every stage, and raising educational standards, means investing in social science teaching and teacher training.

We will keep you posted on developments with this review; one of the new government’s early activities towards its 5 missions for a better Britain: Our first steps for change - GOV.UK

The Call for Evidence is open until 22 November should you wish to respond directly.