Restricted access: a history of national political education in Britain

The lack of explicit political education in Britain to all young people is
widely recognised amongst political and educational elites alike. Since the late-1960s
there has been a growing interest in the provision of some form of political education
within the state education system. There have been a number of justifications for this
interest, but concern over the perceived political apathy, and disengagement, of young
people is now seen by some to be threatening the stability, and legitimacy, of
democracy in Britain.
The following paper seeks to assess approaches to political education in Britain in a
number of differing ways. Firstly, it will consider the value of political education. The
paper will then discuss the lack of equality of educational provision in Britain since
1870. There will be consideration of state approaches and attitudes toward political
education, and the extent to which the incumbent Labour government has inculcated
an active citizenship culture within the education system. The paper will conclude
with some comments regarding problems concerning political education provision
within the state system in Britain