What We Need to Do About Civic Education

In The Huffington Post, Peter Lavines blog contained a very interesting post about civic education, or rather the lack of it. He states how 68 percent of young adults don’t even know the rules to voting, thanks to the little education they received in civics. How only 39 states require at least one course in American government, but all 50 states have some sort of standards for social studies; however there are some obstacles that stand in the way of effective education about our government. One of them being how only one class in civics is required; usually at the end of high school education when most students already have “senioritis”. Secondly how this course isn’t really a priority to faculty or students, since there is not standardized test to really see if they learned anything. Only 9 states require for students to pass a history test to graduate, and only 8 of those states require students to pass a civics test in order to graduate. He also says that even though these states require students to pass these tests, it doesn’t really ensure effective learning. Most tests are now only multiple choices, and only require a student to memorize facts; facts that are easily forgotten. Lavine however does recognize that some states actually require students to know how to,” analyze and event, issue, or problem,” in order to successfully pass the course. “In my opinion, these are the outcomes that we want- for the good of our democracy and civil society.” He ends his post by stating how even though all states have standards for social studies; they are all lost with every other subject they have to execute.  How civics classes can help young adults have an interest in news and politics; help them execute knowledgeable arguments. “By that standard we typically fall short.”

I completely agree with Lavine, the same way I agreed with the article in The Christian Science Monitor. Our government doesn't do much to emphasize the importance of civic education in our nation. We can clearly see how it’s not even a priority in the education system. Very little states require students to actually have an effective knowledge about our government. What are the results? Young people lacking knowledge on how to vote. If the education system doesn’t improve things will only get worse. We need states like those few that require actual analysis on events, which actually helps students understand better. “What we expect of ourstudents in civics classes is a good measure of what kind of nation we hope tobe.” I feel that if younger students learn more about civics it will only lead to a better nation, a more educated nation. I think in the end that’s what we really strive for.