Every day we are washed over by global challenges and threats to the sustainability and well-being of our societies: rising authoritarianism and polarisation, declining trust in democracy and rule of law, disinformation, geopolitical conflicts. How do we educate young people and adults in vocational education and training (VET) in the face of such a complex world? How do we encourage them to think critically, to be informed and knowledgeable, to become qualified for increasingly complex workplaces, and to be active, ethical and exercise their rights as citizens? At the heart of these different questions lies genuine curriculum questions such as what is to be taught, why, how, by whom and for whom?
The curriculum is a complex system involving teachers, students, employers, workplaces, and social settings. Learners also bring their own experiences and life histories to curriculum making, often sharing workspaces with those whose views may conflict with theirs. The CoE reviews the ways in which European VET programmes attempt to develop Competences for Democratic Culture and Vocational Education and Training. Drawing on evidence from several European countries we point out some key messages about the conditions for successfully integrating education for democratic competence within VET. Given the range of challenges presented in developing a curriculum that prepares VET learners for participation in the labour market and for meaningful engagement in democratic life, it requires more than the acquisition of knowledge, or the ticking of a range of competencies.
Engagement requires learners to develop agency and confidence in expressing opinions, challenging “fake news” and a willingness to respect others’ views. To do this requires safe spaces for learning, for the VET learner those spaces are varied and various. Creating safe spaces involves setting expectations around behaviour, organising learning spaces in an equitable manner, employing a range of teaching and learning strategies, and re-imagining the role of the teacher.
Birmingham Metropolitan College, UK, Strategic Plan, 2030Every day we make sure we are ready to study, are respectful of each other and are in a safe environment. Ready, Respectful, Safe is more than a motto it’s a way of life at BMet.
The VET learner, unlike learners in more traditional learning environments, is required to traverse boundaries between workplaces and school or college settings. This brings challenges when attitudes and values differ and where there are clear differences in power relationships. Events that happen outside the classroom, including home and social environments, impact on learners’ attitudes and behaviours. These may be manifested in classroom behaviour and require opportunities for learners to voice their opinions whilst respecting the right of others to do so; recognising that freedom of speech does not give the right to be abusive, hateful, or discriminatory. The VET teacher can help in making connections between contexts and allowing space for learners to consider how to cross boundaries without feeling threatened or undermined.
In Sweden for example, the core curriculum prescribes that the school should foster democratic and critically thinking citizens. Dmocratic competences and ethical and moral questions are integrated in the VET syllabi of each of the 12 VET programmes, bringing together the content, process, and context (both social and professional) of their learning. In the Finnish VET curriculum there are obligatory learning outcomes that focus on how to be a citizen and member of society, fundamental human rights, equity and equality, and democratic participation.
Recognising the challenges faced by VET learners in negotiating complex, and sometimes challenging settings we need to help them build resilience and confidence, to understand and share personal stories, to feel safe to engage. We need to be mindful of the practical actions we can take, for example through ”enrichment” activities, tutorial support, harnessing ”learner voice”, to support learners as they process and respond to recent events. Education for democracy in VET is not merely about teaching the structure of government or the wording of constitutions. It is about integrating, living, and cultivating democratic competences - the skills, attitudes, and knowledge that enable individuals to participate meaningfully in democratic life. This includes empathy, respect for human rights, the ability to evaluate information critically, and the courage to stand up against injustice. Students need to learn how to debate respectfully, appreciate pluralism, and understand the value of compromise.
Written by
Prue Huddleston and Daniel Alvunger
Prue Huddleston is Emeritus Professor and formerly Director of the Centre for Education and Industry, University of Warwick. She is a Governor and Chair of Academic Quality and Standards Committee at Birmingham Metropolitan College. Her research interests include: 14-19 curriculum, vocational education and qualifications and work-related learning. She has published widely on vocational pedagogy and assessment. Before joining the University of Warwick, she worked within the FE sector, as a teacher and manager, also within community and outreach education.
Daniel is Professor of Education and Vice-Rector for Internationalisation at Linnaeus University, Sweden. He is a member of the research group ‘Research on Educational Professions and Practices’, and his research focuses on curriculum making, vocational education and training, teacher professionalism and teacher education. Daniel is leader of the interdisciplinary ‘Forum for Education and Vocational Knowledge’. Recent publications: 'Curriculum-Making Across Sites of Activity in Upper Secondary School Vocational Education and Training: A Review of the Research in Sweden' https://doi.org/10.13152/IJRVET.11.3.1 and, 'Exploring the role of research in teacher education and teachers’ professional development' https://doi.org/10.24840/esc.vi67.775.