ABSTRACT
Of course, given the wide ranging tide used for this section, only rather general issues can be tackled. It is clear, though, that there have been recent efforts ‘to reemphasise the moral element in the concept and status of citizenship’ (Oliver and Heater 1994: 130). There is a growing awareness that there is a ‘need to recognise that learning about and through values will create the effective citizen’ (McGettrick 1991). Values education is said to touch ‘on some of the central questions facing contemporary British education’ (Ofsted 1994:4) and this is reflected in other European countries (Barr 1991). The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has recently adopted a Recommendation on a European
strategy for children which is obviously relevant to values education. Osler and Starkey (1996:69) quote Jeleff when referring to this resolution:
Children are citizens of the society of today and tomorrow. Society has a long term responsibility to support children and has to acknowledge the rights of the family in the interests of the child. Responding to children’s rights, interests and needs must be a political priority. The Assembly is convinced that respect for children’s rights and greater equality between children and adults will help preserve the pact between generations and will contribute towards democracy.
