Teacher education and the development of democratic education in England

England presents an interesting and complex situation with regards to teacher education and democratic citizenship in relation to other European contexts. These challenges can be encapsulated in the debate over national identity in the midst of Brexit. This chapter will explore how and if fundamental British values accord with the Council of Europe’s conceptual model of 20 competences for citizenship and democracy. Discussion of how and whether teacher education in England is able to encourage trainers and trainees to explore identity within the context of Brexit will also be explored. Teacher education in England has become increasingly fragmented and complex in recent years. The government’s drive towards more school-centred teacher education and the removal of state schools from local authority control has left a situation where trainees can opt for a range of ‘pathways’ into school and college teaching. The debate here is whether investigation of citizenship, democracy and identity is in danger of being further marginalised by the pressure to get trainees ‘classroom ready’. This chapter will adopt a philosophical approach to the literature, focussing on some key texts in the field to draw out implications for the main concepts and how they are interpreted.