Does Citizenship Education or your School Council deal with the issues which really matter to students? Consider the following:

Schools: We're all equal here.
Black students: We KNOW we are second-class citizens, in housing, employment and education.
Schools: Oh, dear. Negative self-image. We must order books with Blacks in them.
Black students: Can't we talk about the Immigration Laws or the National Front?
Schools: No, that's politics. We'll arrange some Asian and West Indian Cultural Evenings.
(Cole, 1986)

Children have capacities for reflecting on issues affecting their lives. To assist children to become active citizens requires the teacher to keep a delicate balance between providing security and offering challenge (Holden&Clough, 1998).

QCA's Citizenship Education document (1998) also suggests that 'to omit controversial subject-matter is to leave out not only an important area of knowledge and human experience but the very essence of what constitutes a worthwhile education'.

The following issues are identified as pupils' concern for the future and clear links between their personal, local, global agendas can be seen.

The teacher's role is to have the courage to listen to children's concerns', engage them in debate and support their developing understanding of the issues. School Councils offer many opportunities to deal with 'real issues' for students and teachers.

References
Cole, M. (1986) Teaching and Learning about Racism: a Critique of multicultural education in Britain, in S. Modgil et al (eds)(1986) Multicultural Education: the Interminable Debate, Lewes: Farmer Press.

Holden, C. and Clough, N. (1998) 'The Child Carried on the Back does not Know the Length of the Road': The Teacher's Role in Assisting Participation. in C. Holden and N. Clough (eds) (1998) Children as Citizens: Education for Participation. London: Jessica Kingsley. ISBN 1-85302-566-6