The Rax Active Citizenship initiative is important because it encourages children to use the knowledge they pick up at school rather than just passively accumulating it in the hope of passing some exams. In a world where many people (grown-ups included) feel alienated from the political process the message that you CAN be involved & affect your own destiny is a very important one. I was blown away when I discovered the RAX book: all that information presented in such a stylish & engaging way. I learned stuff & my 7 year-old was fascinated by it. I thought to myself "Hmmmm - I'm going to have to rethink my 'Grumpy Old Man'-stance here: they ARE teaching kids something worthwhile in schools nowadays". Jarvis Cocker "I have never seen a textbook like this in my life and it is absolutely brilliant!" Dr Tony Breslin, Chief Executive of the Citizenship Foundation and OFSTED inspector "This is a truly unique resource. It's full of inspiring ideas, presented in an engaging way, which will help students develop the skills and conviction to affect real change in their communities. This is what citizenship education is all about." Pete Pattisson, National Subject Lead for Citizenship "The material in these lessons allowed us to discuss issues that are very important to us but which we never get to talk about. Your eye can travel across the page and you end up finding out really interesting facts which inspire you and make the stuff you are learning much more real. I want all the text books to be like this." Ayesha Begum, year 11 "This is a textbook that encompasses so much... making it relevant to pupils' and teachers' lives today, encouraging pupils to go further and investigate the world beyond the classroom. The more you look the more you find to explore in this book which has so many fascinating leads to follow." Millicent Scott, Development Manager at Association for Citizenship Teaching "The layout, style, content and approach represented in Rax is unlike anything I have seen in any text book and in my opinion it will be extremely attractive to both students and teachers alike." Elizabeth Manzi, Head of science faculty, Sheldon School, Chippenham ( Best school in the country" Ofsted, 2008). "The material allowed me to voice my own opinions and feelings about the issues that matter most to me." Michael, year 10. "We ended up having the most interesting debates and activities that I have seen my students participate in. They were completely engaged and found the material compelling and challenging as well as fun." Barbara Scholz, deputy head of English, Swanlea School, London "Citizenship is about active participation. This amazing book empowers teachers and pupils alike thanks to it's vibrant and dynamic approach. It's practical and experiential content provides a much needed lift to this most important area of learning." Richard Gerver, author of Creating Tomorrow's Schools Today
