Introduction to Politics and Current Events

Course Overview

The course exposes learners to current news stories and events as they occur week to week, while providing students with the necessary background knowledge to understand, interpret and critically analyse the events shaping their world. This knowledge includes how and when elections happen, how UK and European democracy functions and the basics of how decisions are made at government level. Though the course focuses on UK Politics, there are some classes dedicated to introducing students to other political systems such as the EU and the US. Within the course, students put into practice skills such as reading comprehension and public speaking, by summarising key points in news articles and presenting them to the class. A crucial skill learners acquire is the ability to evaluate and filter information when reading about current events, a skill that will be valuable to them for the rest of their learning careers and indeed their lives. The course may be particularly useful for international students looking to enter UK schools at 16+ level, and can be adapted to suit different age groups and their existing preparation.