Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote awareness of the (a) Commonwealth of Nations, (b) Monarchy and (c) Commonwealth realms in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools.

Topics relating to the Commonwealth and the Monarchy are covered within the citizenship curriculum. Citizenship is compulsory for maintained secondary schools, and all primary and secondary schools are encouraged to teach it as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.

Programmes of study for citizenship at Key Stages 3 and 4 include content on local, regional and international governance, and the UK’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world. They also cover the development of the political system of democratic government in the UK, including the roles of citizens, Parliament and the Monarch.

Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship. They are encouraged to follow the non-statutory framework for citizenship which includes opportunities for pupils to discuss topics of school, local, national, European, Commonwealth and global concern.

There is also scope within the history programmes of study for pupils to be taught about these topics, across Key Stages 1 to 3.