Political Studies Association welcomes a new APPG on Political Literacy

PSA members and staff joined today’s inaugural meeting as founding members of the group, which seeks to see all children, right across the UK, receiving high quality political literacy education.

Professor Roger Awan-Scully (Chair of the PSA) commented that “As an organisation committed to advancing the understanding of politics, the Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom warmly welcomes the launch of this new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Politics Literacy. We very much hope that the APPG is able to raise awareness of the importance of widespread political literacy for a healthy democratic society, and we at the PSA look forward to contributing to that work.”

The PSA joins a fantastic array of third sector organisations, young people, teachers and parliamentarians to provide evidence on, and argue for, a political literacy education that is accessible for all.

Co-chaired by Simon Fell MP and Lord Iain McNicoll, today’s inaugural meeting was not short on passion as it heard oral evidence from young people, teachers, and academic experts.

In England, we have citizenship education on the national curriculum, but recent research funded by the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust suggests that this is only taught discreetly in a fifth of schools. In Scotland, only roughly 30% of students are likely to receive any political literacy education through Modern Studies, and in Wales and Northern Ireland political literacy is again diluted as a feature or theme within personal and social development curricula.

Dr James Weinberg (PSA Trustee and member of the Political Literacy Oversight Group) added that formal “civic education plays a huge role in tackling the inequalities we know emerge in adult political participation and representation”.

Listening to evidence, today we heard that young people have the creativity and passion for political literacy, beyond campaigning and activism, but should be provided with the knowledge of theoretical frameworks and skills to enable them to participate in our democracy.

The PSA wants to work with others and the APPG to ensure that all young people are equipped with the knowledge and critical thinking skills to empower themselves and engage in the discipline of political science as well as democratic processes.

If you are a PSA Member and interested in getting involved with the APPG, please contact PSA Trustee Dr James Weinberg who will be acting as the group’s academic lead via james.weinberg@sheffield.ac.uk.

19 January 2021

For more information on the APPG membership and aims visit: https://www.shoutoutuk.org/appg-on-political-literacy/

Shoutout UK are the organising group and Secretariat for the APPG on Political Literacy

Follow the conversation on social media using #PolLitAPPG ##PoliticalLiteracy