How Pupils become Responsible and Politically Mature Young Adults

This work compares the principle of education for Political Education in Austria to the curricular subject Citizenship Education in England. The guiding question is whether a cross-curricular theme or a stand-alone subject is better suited to promote Political Education / Citizenship Education in school. Both models – the Austrian Competence Structure Model for Political Education and the English Framework Model for Citizenship Education – are similar as to content (politics, the economy and the law) and competences. Accordingly, the integrated subject History and Social Studies / Political Education and the stand-alone subject Citizenship are both based on comparable aims, key concepts and key processes. However, the English concept of Citizenship Education is more elaborate and detailed than the Austrian one. As a consequence, Citizenship Education in England has reached a far higher degree of professionalization. In order to support pupils to become responsible and politically mature young adults, a modern approach for Political and Citizenship Education must combine the best of both worlds: the principle of education and the stand-alone subject.