Citizenship and Democracy in Scottish Schools: a policy review of the role of school management

Abstract

This research briefing reports on findings from a policy review undertaken by Project 2 of the AERS School Management and Governance Network (SMG). Members of the 'Citizenship and Democracy' project carried out a collaborative review of policy documents pertinent to education for citizenship in Scotland. This work forms part of three inter-linked research activities: a literature review which focused on the concept of citizenship; a review of policy pertinent to education for citizenship in Scotland, and finally case studies in schools and Local Authorities. Key Findings: • The crucial role of management in implementing education for citizenship was acknowledged in the documents reviewed. Nevertheless, explicit and detailed coverage of the topic was found to be inconsistent and patchy across documentation. • A clear and consistent message regarding the role of school management was absent in the policies reviewed. This lack of coherence potentially undermines the effective management of education for citizenship. • Schools that adopted a consultative and open management style and particularly those which included pupils in decision-making processes were best placed to undertake effective education for citizenship. • The notion of 'school ethos', and specifically a 'participatory school ethos', was found to be a broad and connecting concept used across documentation. Its promotion, especially by school management, was viewed as a fundamental basis for promoting active and responsible citizenship in pupils. • A variety of competing policy discourses was in evidence in documents reviewed. Multiple and conflicting discourses included the democratization of schools, school effectiveness and improvement, performance management and accountability, as well as the 'new professionalism'. This indicates that, if the purposes of citizenship education remain unclear, we can expect either a mismatch with practice or a lack of progress in implementation.