EXETER College students who have experienced gaps in their education are learning important lessons about citizenship as part of a pioneering course.

The students from the foundation studies department are among some of the first in Devon to have taken a GCSE in Citizenship. Only a handful of schools and colleges in the county currently offer the course but this is the second year Exeter College has run the programme. It is taught under the Foundation Studies Fast Track programme which helps learners aged 15-20 who have been out of education for a period of time return to full-time learning.

As part of the citizenship course students had to choose subjects to research. The results of all the students’ work was showcased in an exhibition held in the college’s Ted Wragg Building.

Sixteen-year-old Dave Turner wrote and recorded a song about homelessness which has been played on Vibraphonic FM.

Students Elize Goozé, Ellie Burgin, Lucy Carpenter and Megan Lewis carried out a demonstration about factory farming. Lucy Carpenter, 17, said: “A lot of people do not know what is going on in the production of the meat which they eat. We did the demonstration because citizenship is about getting involved in the community and being aware of many different issues.”

Meanwhile Beth Chafer, 17, is to do a sponsored skydive to raise money for ChildLine. James Baille-Hamilton, Craig Bryant and Jade Quinn carried out a survey among Exeter College students about their views on poverty.

Janie-Lea Eton, 16, said: “Citizenship is about raising awareness of laws, human rights, cultures and religions. I wanted to raise awareness about children who are seriously ill and are helped by Children’s Hospice South West, which is also Exeter College’s chosen charity this year.”

Thierry Mujjuze said: “I wanted to highlight the problem of racism in football, not only on a professional level, but even sometimes when children play.”

Last year 100% of Exeter College students who took GCSE Citizenship passed compared to a national pass rate of 79%. The Government now wants more schools and colleges to teach citizenship in its own right as a GCSE course. A recent Ofsted report on the subject said citizenship is educating children about public institutions, power, politics and community and “equipping them to engage effectively as informed citizens”.