The UK government wants schools to teach pupils how to be citizens. Meanwhile it is after companies for their money (again), not for their expertise on a topic they know lots about.
Future workforce schooled in finance
A new quality assurance scheme for sponsored school materials was launched on November 6 by PFEG , the personal finance education group which brings companies together with teachers, government, consumer bodies and financial service regulators. Resources produced by Britannic Assurance and the Financial Services Authority to educate children in financial literacy were among the first to receive the new ‘quality mark’. The longstanding NatWest Face 2 Face with Finance programme is next to be assessed. PFEG certification ensures that resources are developed with teachers and tested in advance. Brand identification can include logos for sponsor identification, but must not promote sales nor denigrate other products. Contact PFEG on 020 7220 1735 (http://www.pfeg.org), FSA on 020 7676 0926 (http://www.fsa.gov.uk) or NatWest on 024 7652 4234 (http://www.natwestf2f.com)
Teaching the teachers of citizenship
A new association for the teaching of citizenship in schools was inaugurated on November 14, at the first of a series of seminars about changes to the curriculum. In September, primary schools began following non-statutory guidance to include citizenship and personal, social and health education at key stages 1 and 2. From August 2002, citizenship including financial literacy and community involvement activity will be part of the National Curriculum for key stages 3 and 4. Among those involved in the Association are Community Service Volunteers and the Institute for Citizenship.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is currently reviewing what citizenship means for 16-18 year-olds, whether at work, school or college, and will be issuing support materials during 2001. A 20-strong working party of teachers, advisers and citizenship groups, chaired by the schools minister, has been formed but without a representative from the corporate sector. Contact DfEE Enquiries on 0870 000 2288 (http://www.dfee.gov.uk)
Citizens connecting with communities
The educational charity, Common Purpose, has created the ‘biggest website in the UK for active citizens’ with funding from Camelot as part of its £6 million sponsorship of the Millennium Experience. CitizensConnection.net was launched on October 11 and aims to be a toolkit with practical advice for citizens wishing to involve themselves in their communities. Contact Sonia Smith, Camelot, on 020 7839 6051 (http://www.citizensconnection.net)
Amey funds city academy
Amey , the business support services company, announced on October 12 up to £2 million, plus in-kind support towards a new £10 million ‘city academy’ high-tech secondary school in Middlesbrough. Serving 1,200 pupils and replacing two existing schools, the academy is one of three publicly funded independent schools already announced, with government plans for up to a dozen within three years. Amey provides services to 500 educational establishments and has a £1.2 billion contract to modernise secondary schools in Glasgow. Contact Karen Bigwood, Amey, on 01252 511 162 (http://www.amey.co.uk)
Private funding improves performance
Specialist schools with company support help their pupils achieve better GCSE results than other comprehensive and modern schools, despite having similar pupil in-takes, the Technology Colleges Trust argued when the national educational results were issued in November. Since 1994, specialist schools have improved performance by 23 percent, compared to 15 percent in other schools. The Trust says it has helped raise over £100 million in private funding since the original 15 city technology colleges were set up in 1987, from companies such as Dixons, Rolls Royce, Tarmac and Allied Zurich . Contact TCT on 020 7802 2345 (http://www.tctrust.org.uk)
TECs become LSCs with more money
The education and employment secretary, David Blunkett MP, announced on November 9 funding for the new business-led Learning and Skills Councils in excess of £5.5 billion for 2001/02, an increase of some 9 percent on current levels of post 16 education and training. He called on the central council and its 47 local arms to find flexible solutions to businesses’ need for skills, with more support for volunteering among 16 to 19 year olds as a way to develop ‘sensitive forms of citizenship’. LSCs go live in April when TECs are transferred and the remit is expanded to cover all post-16 funding including sixth form colleges. Contact Giles Field, LSC, on 020 7925 6734 (http://www.dfee.gov.uk)
news in brief
• HSBCis preparing to announce up to £2 million in support for its work with specialist schools, focusing on language and technology. In November, it was named among the backers for The City of London School’s new scholarship scheme for talented science pupils from disadvantaged London boroughs. Contact Mary Richardson, HSBC, on 020 7260 0500 (http://www.hsbc.co.uk)
• Zurich Financial Servicesis funding a new two-year programme to support numeracy teaching in schools. Zurich Maths in Space Adventure will reach 18,000 children, using interest in space travel to enhance maths skills. Contact Wendy May, Zurich, on 01489 561 562 (http://www.zurich.co.uk)
• The British Councilhas published a series of reports about the teaching of citizenship and human rights, responding to changes in the national syllabus and the coming into force on October 2 of the Human Rights Act. They cover international dimensions of citizenship and provide a directory of resources available. Contact Mary Redshaw, British Council, on 0161 957 7413 (http://www.britishcouncil.org)
Comment
The teaching of citizenship has shot up the political agenda: progressives see it as a way to build a socially cohesive society; traditionalists fret that it takes time away from proper subjects like history and in any case is bound to fail as you can’t teach better behaviour. As Briefing went to press, the government was launching its ‘young citizen’s passport’. In language many companies will recognise, it says citizenship education is about rights and responsibilities and cites volunteering as a valuable tool.
All the more pity, then, that no one withsolid experience of business has been appointed to the working party. Community affairs managers have learned lots these past two decades about how to be an active citizen. Many of the techniques apply readily to any corporate body, such as a school: think about the impact of your basic operations – who you employ, whether you pollute, how you reach out to customers with special needs; then use the purchasing power of your supply chain effectively; and finally make a voluntary community contribution, often best in time or in-kind.
Some companies’ educational engagement has long been about helping schools be better citizens. Since 1995, Barclays New Futures has helped nearly 60,000 pupils from over 900 schools volunteer for community action in partnership with CSV. Over four years, Centrica’s British Gas School Energy scheme has helped over a thousand schools save many millions in energy costs, part-funding energy efficiency equipment and advice (schools account for a quarter of the public sector’s energy bill).
With citizenship an issue of growing salience, now is the time for other companies to think how they can help schools teach these wider lessons about society.
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