Teachings of politics / edited by D. B. Heater

This book is a collection of essays by people in volved in teaching Political Studies and interested to promote and improve this work in schools and colleges. It has been assumed for many years either that Politics is an unsuitable subject for the school curriculum or that political education will be absorbed indirectly through History lessons or the ethos of the school community. As a result, very little serious discussion has taken place about the most effective ways of educating young people politically. The emergence of Politics as a fully-fledged discipline in the uni versities; recent work, especially in the U.S.A., on the political socialization process; the pro posed lowering of the voting age to eighteen; and the widespread unease about relations be tween the government and the governed in democratic societies have coincided to focus attention on this vital, though neglected, area of education. This book recognizes that no one is in a position to provide an ideal syllabus or educative situation; it is presented to teachers, educationists, colleges and departments of education, and others interested in the problem - rather as a stimulus to revive thought, discussion, and, perhaps, action.