Should there be better civics education in the public school system?
I agree there should be better civics education in the public school system.
I feel there is a greater importance of civics education as our environment, neighborhood and community are constant parts of our lives. The more we learn about the needs in our society, the greater we grow. That eventually leads us to take responsibility and contribute to society. It also creates more awareness of our surroundings, crimes, and what avenues there are in our society for change.
Posted by: MeierM0nThere should be better civics education so that schools can produce more informed voters.
Currently, only about half of all eligible Americans vote, and voting rates are even worse among young people. Additionally, many people vote based on emotion or are easily led by misleading advertisements. Civics should teach students how to evaluate claims, how to read statistics, and how to assess arguments. Hopefully this will allow voters to make more educated choices and to be more involved in politics themselves.
Posted by: NoIanP4P3rThere should be improved civics education in schools to better prepare our children for the real world.
All education should be improved, and the systems should continuously seek to improve it, but civics is important in preparing young minds for the future, both in the community and at government levels. More comprehensive civics classes would encourage more open-minded, diplomatic, and socially-conscious children who could be trusted to make effective leaders in the future.
Posted by: R053NeddyI do believe that there should be better civics education in the public school system to prepare children to become better, more responsible and invested citizens.
I do believe that a more expansive civics education is crucial to molding our children into better citizens, and encouraging them to be more active in both the government and society, as a whole.
Posted by: ToughEfrain26The quality of education, including civics education, should be improved because that is the only way to address challenges in the global economy.
Civics education should also be improved in the public school system as it will teach social responsibility that new generations can not run away from. Global issues including competitiveness and global warming can only be properly addressed if we learn how to be good to each other and our surroundings. If children are not taught at their earliest age these principles, we stand to lose generations that will be influenced by other factors, such as greed and materialism.
Posted by: BurM4rkCivics education is fundamental.
Civics is a crucial part of education for many reasons. I think principally the obvious and largely uncontested reason for civics education is that it is the foundation for good citizenship. How can we expect someone to mature into a well-rounded productive adult, able to perform as an effective member of society, if they have no understanding of how and why it should work?
It instills patriotism to understand how and why our country works the way it does. Children and adults are currently bombarded with multiculturalism and taught to appreciate all other cultures. This would leave anyone felling a since of inadequacy if no time is spent on learning about one’s own culture. Not only civics but new efforts should be made in the study of American history. History is a subject that is very interesting, but generally watered down to cut out any controversy or debate to the same monotone boring lesson year after year. The notion that this question of education should be up for debate makes me wonder if someone was not paying attention in their civics class.Posted by: AnonymousAbsolutely yes
This is one of the major problems I see. A lack of understanding of our legal system and constitution. it should be required to learn what it means in school. If they are going to be expected to vote some day then they should understand how our system works and what is actually in the Constitution so they don't fall victim to lies.
Posted by: BennyWYes civics education should be more of a part of the public school system, because it educates children on how government works, which is important.
It would be an extremely good idea to have civics education at the public school level. I am sure that many students would like to learn about the government and politics. I, for one, would have liked to learn how a city is run, and thus appreciate all that the government tries to do for its citizens.
Posted by: StripperMorThere should be a more thorough teaching of civics; an increased awareness of local, state and federal laws makes for a wise and effective citizenry.
You cannot effectively execute your right to vote if you do not understand the issues and their impact on current legislation.
Posted by: R0m4nticHammYes there should better civics education in the public school system
There is a serious problem in America today, not from children in school, but from their parents. America is like a family, dysfunction and all. But in the end we are supposed to be looking out for each other and the country. We should have respect for America, our elders, the sick and the wayward. We should have the human decency to want to keep our country great, yes, by paying taxes. We should want to help those in need, as we would help our children and cousins etc. Instead everyone is out for themselves. I had civics lessons. It was a good thing. I understood about the need to help the country. Be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem. If there were civics lessons on how to treat the country, how to behave, how to make things better instead of worse, maybe we wouldn't have so many people with their little minds and even smaller pocketbooks. We need to teach people how to behave in a civilized world. How to work together. It is a shame we can't figure that our for ourselves.
Posted by: rruthbjI believe that there should be better civics education in the public school system as civics education creates awareness of rights & duties of citizenship.
A strong foundation leads to successful & civilized youth. Young children & youth are the future of our country. There should be better civics education in public school systems as civics education aims at imparting the knowledge and skills that we need for effective participation in the community, government, and politics.
Posted by: Pr0udReagA more informed, and better educated American.
This topic should be called, (Why civics education has been taken out of the school curriculum.)
Too many Americans do not know how our political system works, or what our political responsibilities are. The fall back position we have is a news system that is heavily influenced and controlled by special interests. We are too busy, easily distracted, and prone to accept simplistic solutions, thereby causing us to elect unsuitable candidates. This would not be happening if we had a school system that was properly funded (not constantly being denied funds) and a civics education that would be gradual, meaning don't teach children something they cant grasp, this could be done by role playing and would en still a sense of participation, because as a nation, this is what we so desperately need.Posted by: Anonymouskeep it going
Because you should know what you're going to be voting for. Civics will educate you on what you need to know about the government. You should also know how the government works and where your money is going to be going. You need to know what you're voting for and you need knowledge to know what the presidential candidates will know
Posted by: AnonymousYes, civics is a very important part of education.
Understanding how government works and the rights and obligations of American citizens is very important. An educated population makes us a stronger country and helps us make the right political decisions. Too many Americans don't understand how our government works and have a grave misunderstanding of our laws, rights and obligations. This leads to poor decision making when voting is performed leading to the election of poor leaders.
Posted by: R43ShepYes, I think children currently end up ignorant to issues involving civics, because they are never taught it in school.
It seems like more and more young adults are totally oblivious to many things going on in society. I believe this is from not exposing them to these things in a civics class in high school. It should be a required class that all students must take, in order to graduate. It would result in a society that was more informed.
Posted by: R04chGrovGood civics education helps children, more than being ignorant of the complexities of the system does.
Civics is a big part of how our country conveys political attitudes to its citizens. Recent political groups have played on the ignorance of low-leveled civics education, in order to manipulate people into voting away their rights. We need further understanding as to how these techniques make things harder for all of us.
Posted by: GlisteningNelsonThere should be better civics education in our public school system because many students today do not understand how their government functions.
Civics education should be increased and perfected in the public school system because our students do not understand how their country works. These students will someday be the leaders and businessmen and women of our country, but they do not know how a court functions or how a bill is passed. There must be increased civics education provided or we will suffer greatly as this next generation of students ages into completely mindless automatons who have no clue as to what needs to be taken care of. Without better civics education our students are doomed to forever misunderstand how their country and government functions.
Posted by: VampireShuIn order to become fully participating citizens, young people need a firm foundation in the way our government and political systems are set up and run.
Well educated citizens become knowledgeable voters and participants in the way our country is run, from local to national level politics.
The current percentage of people who vote in our country's elections is far too low. Voter turnout has been less that 60% for the last forty years. This in part is due to the bland and lackadaisical approach to civics education in the public school system. It is important to introduce strong and involved instructional methods early that will result in a more informed and involved electorate. In the end, this can only make our country stronger.Posted by: KnowledgeableWilford94Better civics education in public schools is expected to produce better and responsible citizens.
If civics is studied better in public school, people can learn clearly about the constitution, thinking of our forefathers in making the constitution, their duties and responsibilities, how laws are made, who are responsible to make or implement them etc. All these go a long way in producing a better citizen. A person having imperfect knowledge of civics cannot turn out to be a good citizen.
Posted by: JaliyahFInform the youth. encourage responsible voting
Anyone who believes that our public education system spends too much time on civics in this country, are sadly mistaken. Students have no idea what the electoral college does, or who is mayor is their town. Today's American youths have no clue how their own government (which their parent's tax dollars pays for) operates on a daily basis. How can we expect them to become responsible and accountable citizens, if they are not educated on how the foundation of this very country (government) works?
Posted by: AnonymousYes, there should be better civics lessons, so when people are ready to vote, they know how to vet a political candidate properly.
Teaching civics should be a priority. Without it, we get candidates like we have today: people that should not be in the position they are in, since they lack the proper background and experience to do the job. If schools teach better, and the parents get on board with proper education, students would be electing candidates for the position based on whether they are qualified or not, and not based on popularity.
Posted by: ScrawnyNormand46Civics education should be a part of every school curriculum.
Civic education should be taught in all levels of education. We need to be more proactive in teaching our youth that they should always get involved in their local community in the form of participation in community outreach programs and local government.
Posted by: SlipArnalYes the quality of civics education provided in the U.S. public school system needs improvement. Just look at the number of public school students who don't know who the current Speaker of House is.
The United States needs to have our citizens better understand how government works. We need to educate our child in order for them to become active participating members of the political process. As a country less than 60% of people have voted in national elections; this means that 40% of people are not a part of the political process. Improved civics education would change this.
Posted by: G4rwIsdeadI agree that there should be better civics education in public school systems.
In this day and age, it is necessary to focus on issues of interest and concern rather than focusing on history or science that may or may not influence a child's development into a better citizen in the society. Education should not be limited to books, and there should be more practical knowledge provided in the education system, which includes civic sense as it will help in understanding environmental issues better.
Posted by: A Richardson
No, I do not think there needs to be more civics education taught in the schools, because it would be excessive.
I do not think that the school system should spend anymore time on civics than it does. The civics class I had was good and it shed light on certain topics to bring awareness to them. I thought anymore would have been excessive, and really could go on forever. There are better ways to spend the students' time and the county's money.
Posted by: darialoversSchools Support the Status Quo
Civics education in a government run school will always tend to be supportive of the current power structure. People who think they know about something are more dangerous than those who know they don't and are open to new information.
The majority of ignorant political viewpoints can be traced back to a simplistic 7th grade understanding of how the government works. Turning up the dial on this so that Joe the Plumber thinks he knows even more will only lead to more ignorance.
It's far better for people to learn about important topics on their own. Grades and "right answers" can stifle creativity and understanding, so focusing more time and energy on teaching civics risks creating a population of people that think they know more than they do.Posted by: Anonymous