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Following some brief introductory remarks that make dear the data and literature that have been used to write this paper, there are four main sections. Firstly, there is a description of the courses relevant to citizenship education that are provided in a range of European institutions of high education. Secondly, there is a discussion about what those courses seem to suggest that students following courses in higher education need to know about citizenship. Thirdly, an argument is made for those who work within institutions of higher education to be particularly aware of the significance of two key issues: access to courses and the process which is appropriate for teaching and learning about citizenship. Fourthly, some recommendations are made about what could be done in a cross-European context so as to improve the possibilities of strengthening the potential of citizenship education. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of a number of tensions that may affect the development of citizenship education in Europe.

The paper traces the development of citizenship in the curriculum in England since the 1960s, emerging particularly from the Crick report. It argues for lessons to be learnt from John Dewey’s ‘Democracy and education’, the centenary of which is being celebrated this year.

The European dimension is of salient importance for understanding and shaping politics especially, but not only, in Europe. The European Union by now has become a compulsory content of civics classes in secondary schools throughout Germany. For teachers, however, teaching this topic is connected with manifold difficulties, for example, due to the complexity and dynamics of European integration, the (perceived) distance of European Union politics, and popular prejudices. European Union content and didactics are not always included in teacher training; moreover, civics is often taught by teachers who have not been trained in this subject. Thus, special continuing education for civics teachers with regard to teaching the European Union is needed. In the context of the Jean Monnet project Politiklehrerfortbildung zur nachhaltigen Vermittlung Europäischer Bürgerschaftskompetenzen [Civics teachers’ continuing education for sustainable teaching of European citizen competencies] ( http://peb.uni-goettingen.de ), 180 teachers participated in nine continuing education courses throughout Germany. The training courses were developed at Göttingen University and designed to update both teachers’ knowledge on European integration (focus: Treaty of Lisbon; the ‘Euro Crisis’) and their capacity to convey European Union knowledge and competencies to pupils. Practical experiences in various methodological approaches were integrated into the training course as well as a visit of a member of the European Parliament. The courses were accompanied by an empirical study with pre-, post- and follow-up-tests (standardized questionnaires, both paper and pencil and online; pre/post sample N = 179). This contribution introduces several key results of the accompanying study regarding the European Union-related characteristics of participating teachers (e.g. the relation between European Union knowledge and attitudes towards the European Union, controlling for background variables such as gender and school type), the current practice – including goals, approaches, methods and problems – of teaching the subject of the European Union from a teachers’ perspective and the effects of the teachers’ continuing education series Politiklehrerfortbildung zur nachhaltigen Vermittlung Europäischer Bürgerschaftskompetenzen.

It has always been acknowledged that a free society is dependent on the knowledge, skills, and virtues of its citizens and those they elect to office. For this reason, civic education has always been regarded as an essential component of any education system. A new enthusiasm for citizenship education has recently seen the revision, or re-introduction of civics programmes into the schools of Western Europe, North America and Australasia. This paper suggests that while facts are undoubtedly an essential ingredient of any civic education programme, formal instruction in civics and government may not be the best way to teach effective citizenship. In a world that demands confident, informed and responsible citizens, citizenship education may be taught best through programmes which develop appropriate skills and encourage appropriate attitudes and values.