Original scientific paper
POLITICAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS: UNNECESSARY POLITIZATION OF EDUCATION OR AN IMPORTANT CONDITION FOR DEMOCRACY? ENGLAND’S CASE
Berto Šalaj
orcid.org/0000-0002-9913-8477
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In this paper the author uses the analysis of a concrete case – the
introduction of political education into England’s school system – to
describe the scientific, professional and political debates surrounding
the status of school political education in schools in democratic states.
Based on this analysis he concludes that England’s case unmistakably
proves that the proposals regarding the introduction of the new political education syllabuses, regardless of their quality, will invariably fail unless there is a strong political will i.e. the resolve of
the political elites to accept and implement them. He also concludes
that in today’s democratic states there is some sort of a consensus on
the necessity of the existence of this segment of education as an essential component of school systems. The consensus is based on the understanding that the future of democratic political systems to a
large extent depends on the existence of citizens who possess the
knowledge, attitudes and capabilities necessary for their informed and
responsible inclusion in the process of political decision-making.
The author thinks that the analysis embarked on in this paper might serve as an incentive for the actualization of the debate on the
present status, scope, models and contents of political education in
Croatian schools.
Keywords
political education; civic education; school system; active citizenry; democratic political culture; England
Hrčak ID:
20987
URI
Publication date:
18.2.2006.
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