by Michelle Miller, AIWC Cologne and Education Team Co-Chair
In June, the Education Team continues our focus on global citizenship. Did you have a class in high school that considered what a democracy is, along with the rights and responsibilities of citizens living in a democracy? In the US, this is called “civics” class. By the time I was in high school in the 1980s, civics was no longer widely taught in US high schools. Today, only nine states still require a year of civics instruction (American Federation of Teachers, 2018). Years later, as a legal studies professor, I noticed the lack of civics instruction when my students could not tell me much of anything about how our political system is structured in the US, including the functions of the three branches of government.
If I could wave a magic wand, I would bring those civics courses back. However, I recognize that this would only be the beginning of the discussion, as what should be taught in the classroom about democracy and government has become quite controversial. This debate extends far beyond the US. Consider these articles about education and its role in global citizenship:
- In the United States, research shows that students who take civics courses in high school are more likely to vote, communicate with their elected officials and volunteer for community service. These courses also aid in the development of critical thinking, classroom confidence and civil debate skills. For more information, please see Forgotten Purpose: Civics Education in Public Schools.
- Going beyond the advantages of this kind of education for promoting participation in any one democracy, wouldn’t it be great to have all young people take a class called Global Citizenship Education that helped them to learn how to work together to build safe, tolerant inclusive societies?
- We might answer the previous question in the affirmative, but what would students think about such a class? Take a look at this comparative analysis of students from England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden: Global Citizenship Education for Global Citizenship?
