Educating future citizens: rule of law in schools

The introduction of specialist free teaching materials for Key Stages 1 to 4 on the rule of law by the Attorney General’s Office is a welcome and timely step. Whilst schools are already required to promote the rule of law as one of the “fundamental British values” the latter can be a controversial concept that some find off-putting. In practice there is a risk that teaching on this topic can translate into a somewhat tick box approach. Yet for children and young people growing up today, in a context of frequent political change, challenge to the so called “social contract”, and a confusing mix of extreme freedoms and restrictions in their online vs real worlds, a solid grounding in the rule of law is essential. Understanding that a shared set of rights and responsibilities apply to all is key to this. If done well, teaching on this topic can also enable pupils to understand their opportunities as citizens to participate in and shape the law and, on the flip side, the consequences of a society that does not abide by the rule of law. Clearly, useful parallels can be drawn closer to home in relation to behaviour in and outside school. 

For schools, it is to be hoped that these resources will bring the topic to life in a meaningful way and support changes anticipated following the national curriculum review, such as citizenship becoming a required topic for primary schools (and indeed the national curriculum more widely becoming a requirement for academies in light of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act). Whilst these new resources may feel fairly minor in the midst of other major changes hitting the education system, embedding meaningful and consistent education on what the rule of law means for children and young people is a positive step worthy of recognition.