Citizenship Education and Neoliberalism

Policies and practices under the conservative government

Abstract

This article examines the transformation of citizenship education in England, focusing on the decade under the Conservative-led government. Following Labour's defeat in the 2010 general election, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government was formed, and the sole Conservative government took over the office in 2015. During that time, issues such as Brexit, the refugee crisis, and terrorism have been the subject of hated debate over diversity and integration in the UK. This article delineates how Citizenship Education has been changed amid these social conditions. It scrutinises its transformation from the Labour government, considering the policy context and conception of ‘good citizenship’. First, it briefly illustrates the characteristics of citizenship education under the Labour government. Next, it summarises the analytical framework and presents the objects of analysis. Then, based on the policy context that may have influenced citizenship education under the Conservative government, the following educational policies related to citizenship education, in addition to the National Curriculum, are discussed: character education and Fundamental British Values. It also examines what educational practices have been attempted in comparison with these official policies. Finally, through a discussion on the conception, transformation, and practice of Citizenship Education, the prospects for citizenship education based on different political ideologies will be examined and suggestions for practice in Japan will be drawn. In citizenship education under the Conservative government, the concept of active citizenship with a social justice orientation and the development of political citizenship, which was aimed around the Click Report, have receded into the background. Instead, volunteerism and individualism have been pushed to the foreground. Conversely, although Citizenship Education was found to have undergone policy changes and many controversies, it has been flexibly practiced by teachers to a great extent. This is due to the situation in the UK, where the National Curriculum descriptions outside the core subjects are brief and there are no authorized textbooks. While this allows for the flexible implementation of citizenship education, it also means that the content and approach of Citizenship Education widely differ by school and teacher. Conversely, the large-scale survey revealed that Citizenship Education has been effective in promoting broad political and civic participation. In England, where research evidence informs education policy, one of the reasons why citizenship education has continued to be addressed after the change of government is that these positive findings have been demonstrated. Under the Conservative government, Citizenship Education has shifted towards neoliberalism and nationalism. However, the inclusive practices of Citizenship Education have in fact continued due to the efforts of teachers who interpret citizenship in justice and equity.