Education: Politics A-level

Baroness Parminter Excerpts

Tuesday 22nd December 2015 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Parminter]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to revise the Politics A-level curriculum.

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park (Con)]

My Lords, a public consultation on reformed content for politics AS-level and A-level closed on 15 December. We are analysing the responses and have already started work with the exam boards to develop the content in light of the views expressed. As always, we will listen carefully to the views of the sector and the wider public as part of this full consultation process.

[Baroness Parminter (LD)]

Increasing awareness of the outstanding challenges facing gender equality requires young people to be familiar with the political thinkers and the movements that have generated progress to date. Why, then, do the Government intend to cut feminism and limit study to one political female thinker in the proposed politics A-level syllabus?

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

The noble Baroness will be aware that there is no requirement in the existing A-level criteria to study feminism. Exam boards have worked closely with universities on the proposed content. That is why the recently consulted-on content has identified three core political theories to be studied. But of course the work of key female thinkers can be included within those.