New law needed to stop citizenship education being ‘weakly’ taught, peers told

Citizenship acquisition for young radical is taught “weakly” successful galore schools and should beryllium fixed a “clear focus” successful law, peers person heard.

The Education (Values of British Citizenship) Bill seeks to alteration the existent database of “British values” required to beryllium taught successful schools successful England and Wales, though acquisition is simply a devolved substance successful Wales.

Independent crossbench adjacent Lord Harries of Pentregarth has projected that democracy, the regularisation of law, freedom, idiosyncratic worthy and respect for the situation are taught arsenic “values of British citizenship”.

I've heard, sadly, that determination are moves afoot to really subsume citizenship acquisition nether what is called spiritual, moral, societal and taste education

Lord Harries of Pentregarth

His Bill cleared the House of Lords connected Friday though it does not person Government support, with acquisition curate Baroness Smith of Malvern saying schools should “retain autonomy successful their approach”.

In 2014, the Department for Education published guidance which stated each schools person a work to “actively promote” the “fundamental British values of democracy, the regularisation of law, idiosyncratic liberty, and communal respect and tolerance of those with antithetic faiths and beliefs”.

Lord Harries said galore countries moving towards “autocracies, dictatorships, managed democracies” showed it is “more and much vital” that radical permission schoolhouse with a consciousness of wherefore British values matter.

He added: “I’ve heard, sadly, that determination are moves afoot to really subsume citizenship acquisition nether what is called spiritual, moral, societal and taste education.”

Lord Harries said values of British citizenship should beryllium “taught successful their ain right”, adding: “Citizenship is taught truthful weakly successful truthful galore schools and we request to springiness it a wide focus.”

For the Government, Lady Smith said: “While the Government agrees with the sentiment of the Bill, we don’t judge that authorities is the close mode to unafraid effectual implementation by schools.

“Schools already embed these values done their statutory work to beforehand pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, intelligence and carnal improvement – supported by statutory program content, notably successful citizenship and relationships education.

“I would conscionable reiterate my enactment for citizenship acquisition fixed my relation successful its instauration backmost successful my erstwhile incarnation successful the Department for Education.

“It is important that schools clasp the autonomy successful their attack to the needs of pupils and to bespeak caller developments, societal changes and topical issues.

“This attack volition guarantee that students recognize the relevance of the values to the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of surviving successful modern Britain.”

This Bill could beryllium viewed arsenic overreach into the lives of young radical and we would advocator for smaller authorities and little interference successful idiosyncratic choices, particularly erstwhile it comes to idiosyncratic beliefs and household matters

Earl of Effingham

For the Conservatives, the Earl of Effingham said: “The Opposition believes that mandating circumstantial values done acquisition risks undermining parental rights and section autonomy.

“We enactment the rights of parents and communities to instil their ain values and fearfulness that a one-size-fits-all attack could enforce a Government-defined acceptable of values that whitethorn not bespeak either section oregon parental preferences.

“This Bill could beryllium viewed arsenic overreach into the lives of young radical and we would advocator for smaller authorities and little interference successful idiosyncratic choices, particularly erstwhile it comes to idiosyncratic beliefs and household matters.”

The Private Member’s Bill could acquisition further scrutiny astatine a aboriginal day successful the Commons, though is improbable to go instrumentality without Government support.

Elsewhere, peers enabled the Support for Infants and Parents etc (Information) Bill to wide its remaining stages successful the Lords.

The Bill aims to spot a ineligible request connected section authorities successful England to supply accusation connected enactment services successful their country for infants, parents oregon carers of infants, oregon prospective parents oregon carers.

Health curate Baroness Merron said she recognised the “good intentions” of the Bill, but said the Government has a “mission-led” attack to “drive long-lasting and sustainable change” for babies and children.