This paper argues the importance in and for a democratic state and society of discussing controversial issues in education. In particular it analyses two national educational contexts, that of England and South Africa. It considers both whether they provide a suitable framework for teaching controversial issues in school classrooms and if they…

This article asserts that the changing nature of present-day society has significant implications for education. However, it questions the extent to which the current educational "diet" provided to the majority of young learners is fit for purpose, i.e. how far it is preparing them to survive and thrive in, and contribute to, an increasingly…