A statement in response to the Department for Education’s recently-published guidance on planning the relationship, sex and health school curriculum.
As individuals with a strong interest in the promotion and advancement of information literacy (IL), we wish to express our disquiet at elements of the Department for Education’s recently-published guidance on planning the relationship, sex and health school curriculum.
IL is the ability to think critically and make well-calibrated judgements about any information that people of all ages find and use. IL applies throughout life and in a multiplicity of contexts. In the realm of school education, it can enhance and enrich a range of taught subjects in the curriculum, being embedded as part of critical thinking skills and knowledge development. It helps young people to be discerning about the information that they encounter and create; crucially, it addresses the English National Curriculum’s aim to aim to equip students “to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement”. We therefore find it disconcerting that this latest DfE guidance should choose to view anti-capitalism as a stance that lies beyond what is permitted as legitimate critical analysis. We are not alone in this view, and we note that organisations as diverse as Quakers and Shout Out UK have expressed similar concerns.
The guidance makes sense in its view that schools should not engage with organisations that promote non-democratic political systems; and it is right too to require schools not to use resources produced by entities committed, for instance, to overthrowing democracy, opposing free speech or deploying racist discourse. But we are perturbed that organisations (and, by implication, individuals) which have views that are critical of or opposed to capitalism should be placed in the same category as extremist and potentially dangerous bodies. It is not our place to make a judgement about the merits or otherwise of capitalism. Rather, we are saying that, in the interest of fostering critical thinking abilities, it is proper for young people to be exposed impartially to a range of robust information and resources, including those produced by organisations and individuals whose views, whilst controversial, are nevertheless a legitimate part of democratic discourse. Indeed, making a point of removing exposure to anti-capitalist viewpoints politicizes the curriculum inappropriately.
The guidance is correct in wishing to ensure that what is taught in schools does not undermine the fundamental values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance. Serious and evidence-based material drawn from anti-capitalist sources fits within this democratic framework – as do sources that view capitalism positively. Information-literate, critically-thinking citizens, including young people, should develop the capacity to reach informed views about major contemporary issues, and being informed requires access to good-quality material from a range of sources, including those that challenge prevailing orthodoxy. We therefore hope that including anti-capitalist resources in a range of proscribed material was an oversight on the part of DfE and that it will be corrected.
If you support us, please feel free to add your name to the list of signatories by Friday, November 6th.
Jane Secker, Chair, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Pip Divall, Health Libraries Representative, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Jacqueline Geekie, Public Libraries Representative, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Stéphane Goldstein, Advocacy and Outreach Officer, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Jonas Herriot, Treasurer, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Alison Hicks, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information Literacy
Padma Inala, Training Officer, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Catherine McManamon, Secretary, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Claire Packham, Chair of LILAC
Sarah Pavey, Schools Representative, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Nick Poole, CEO of CILIP: the UK Library and Information Association
Dan Pullinger, Website Manager, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Andrew Walsh, Training Officer, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Geoff Walton, Library and Information Sciences Representative, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Liz White, Further Education Representative, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Laura Woods, Deputy Chair, CILIP Information Literacy Group
Tricia Adams, CILIP Youth Libraries Group
Heather Anderson, Information Specialist
Lewis Andrews, Marketing and Events Assistant
Caroline Ball, Academic Librarian, University of Derby
Barbara Band, Independent library consultant and advisor
Katherine Barton
Susan Bastone, Chair, School Library Association
Wendy Bathgate
David Bedford, Academic Support Librarian
Elizabeth Bentley BA MCLIP
James Bisset, Librarian, Durham University
Binni Brynolf, Co-Chair LGBTQ+ Network Steering Group
Emma Burnett, Information Consultant, Royal Holloway, University of London
Karen Butcher
Gloria Clarke, Librarian
Jo Cornish, Head of Sector Development, CILIP
Joy Court, Trustee, United Kingdom Literacy Association
Angela Cutts, Education Faculty Librarian, University of Cambridge
Katharine Davidson-Brown, Library Customer Services Manager, Durham University
Kate Davies
Sunny Dhillon, Learning Advisor, University of Leeds
Amber Edwards, Librarian, St George’s British International School
Rozz Evans
Linda Evans, School Librarian
Annie Everall, Director
Gillian Farkas-Blake
Caroline Gale, Library Liaison Manager, University of Exeter
Melanie Gibson, Associate Professor, Northumbria University
Ash Green, CILIP LGBTQ+ Network
Agnes Guyon, Senior librarian – schools, children and young people.
Matt Hardy, Lecturer, University of Bradford
Rebecca Jones, Liaison librarian (medicine) and library manager, Imperial College London
Emma Keeler, School Librarian
Nicky Kierton
Karen King, LRC Manager, secondary school
Anja Komatar, Maths Support Advisor, University of Leeds
Susan Mair
Lesley Martin, School Librarian
Julian McDougall, Professor, Bournemouth University
Amy McEwan, Academic Liaison Librarian, University of Exeter
Craig McEwan, Academic Liaison Librarian, University of Exeter
Kate McGuinn, Subject Librarian, University of Huddersfield
Janet Morton, Learning Advisor, University of Leeds
Rizwan Nawaz
Jane Pothecary, Learning & Teaching Librarian, King’s College London
Bryony Ramsden, Subject Librarian
Simon Robinson, Learning Advisor, Leeds University Library
Joana Rosa
Helene Russell, The Knowledge Business
Sarah Seddon, School Librarian
Alison Sharman, Academic Librarian
Ian Simpson, Library Collection Development Manager, Canterbury Christ Church
Hannah Slater, Library assistant, The London Library
Lauren Smith, Librarian
Peter Smith, Research Support Librarian
Nigel Sturt, Librarian
Deborah Varenna, CILIP LGBTQ+ Network Steering Group
John Vincent, Networker, The Network – tackling social exclusion in libraries, museums, archives and galleries
Mike Wall, Deputy University Librarian, Durham University
Emily Wheeler, Learning Advisor, University of Leeds
Jane Whittaker, Historian
Gemma Wood
Even the darling of the masses, one of the UK’s most famous exports, and de facto public intellectual, David Attenborough, has recently come out in criticism of ‘excess’ capitalism. It’s actually hardly a radical stance. Sapere aude!!
This is an important statement about the need for young people to have access to the full range of lawful opinions, and the education to assess them.
This is indeed a very important statement about the need to foster critical thinking for young people. Censorship is a weakness for any sound democratic society. Information literacy is more necessary than ever. My admiration and support to CILIP Information Literacy Group. Best regards from Spain