Citizenship Education

Citizenship is more than a subject. If taught well and tailored to local needs, its skills and values will enhance democratic life for all of us, both rights and responsibilities, beginning in school and radiating out.

Bernard Crick, National Curriculum Citizenship, 1999

Citizenship education is the training of effective and active citizens. It is the training of citizens who question, evaluate, and present creative solutions and know their responsibilities and rights (IGI Global, n.d.). Additionally, citizenship education shares relationships with other subject areas, including history, geography, and social studies, amongst others.

What are its essential elements?

Citizenship education involves a wide range of different elements of learning, including moral issues, current or topical issues, controversial issues, participation in public life, a sense of identity, social values, rights, and responsibilities. Young Citizens (2021) gives further details about some of these elements. These elements involve:

• Knowledge and understanding about topics such as laws and rules, the democratic process, the media, human rights, diversity, money and the economy, sustainable development and world as a global community; and about concepts such as democracy, justice, equality, freedom, authority and the rule of law
• Skills and aptitudes including critical thinking, analysing information, expressing opinions, taking part in discussions and debates, negotiating, conflict resolution and participating in community action
• Values and dispositions including respect for justice, democracy and the rule of law, openness, tolerance, courage to defend a point of view and a willingness to: listen to, work with and stand up for others.

Issues and trends in citizenship education

The following is a list of issues and trends in citizenship education in Jamaica.

Debates on the relevance of citizenship education in Jamaica

Violence in schools in Jamaica has renewed talk of reducing the subject to curtail students behaviors in school.

Coruption at the governmental and private levels.

Truancy in schools: Students are slowly seeing no value in education, so they are absconding from school to find more entertaining things to do.

Identity Crises: Skin bleaching on the rise and the need to impose “Africaness” in the curriculum to promote self-esteem growth and pride

Scamming

High levels of indiscipline perpetuate talk about citizenship education.

Factors giving rise to renewed interests in citizenship education

factors of the socio-economic situation of a region, such as globalization, crime and violence, identity crises, and so on; environmental factors; political factors (spread of democracy, apathy in voting, and so on).

In more recent times, one of the causes for the renewed interest in citizenship education in Jamaican schools is the prevalence of school violence. It is unusual to see students kill one another over a cellphone, guard ring, boyfriend, or other item. Unfortunately, many students come from homes or communities where psychological difficulties like family troubles, hopelessness, anxiety, drug addiction, and sexual abuse are common. As a result, when they get to school, they feel heavy. However, teachers are not trained in self-defense or how to deal with violence. As a result, whenever there is violence, pandemonium takes over.

A second factor is identity crises. Regrettably, not many kids were exposed to photos that truly represented their skin tone and hair type as they were growing up. Teenagers frequently look up to those with some sort of physical alteration, such as Kartel, Spice, Nicki Minaj, or Cardi B, adding “fire to the fury.” As a result, many children bleach their skin, wear a lot of makeup, or carry out other activities that allow them to feel better about themselves. However, according to a 2012 news report from the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), the then-Minister of Education, Reverend Ronald Thwaites, suggested Garveyism be taught in schools to foster self-esteem and identity development. This is expected to reduce the identity crises among children and adolescents in Jamaica.

Truancy is a third element that would have influenced interest in citizenship education. The reasons students miss class might depend on a wide range of factors. The Minister of Education noted in a Gleaner article from April 10, 2021, that “38.5 percent of poverty-stricken children missed school due to illness, while 32 percent of students in 2017 showed a lack of desire to attend school... Additionally, some students consciously choose not to attend school. In 2010, 19% of those who did so stated that they had lost interest; by 2017, that number had increased to 32%.” The minister also noted that, at 4674.2%, school attendance across the education sector is not as high as it should be. That means that whenever you enter the schools, about 25% of our students are not there. Due to this, pupils do poorly on life-determining exams like the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC). While it is true that civics cannot reduce absenteeism caused by poverty; rather, financial interventions are necessary, it can be argued that civics can help pupils comprehend the value of receiving a good education.

Lack of information about the political system and citizens’ rights and obligations is a fourth issue that would have led to renewed talks about civics in the classroom. The political process as well as citizen rights and obligations are taught in schools, but they are not given significant focus. Sadly, as well, not every student is interested in studying subjects like history and social studies because they do not see the value of pursuing them, particularly in their future routes. In an article that appeared in the Jamaica Observer on December 13, 2022, the education minister noted the reintroduction of the new civics curriculum and stated that “the reintroduction of civics arises out of great concern at the levels of incivility and lack of respect for self, others, and authority that continues to be demonstrated across the country.” This, in her opinion, results from the fact that many people are unaware of their rights, obligations, the political process, and how individuals should permit the proper process of law to occur. The minister added that “our aim is that the guidelines supplied and used by teachers will help to create the foundation for a successful and balanced society in which our people appreciate the rules that govern the relations we have with fellow citizens and our government.”

The issues with indiscipline are a fifth element that would have led to the renewed talk of civics education. There have been problems with students’ respect for themselves, their peers, instructors, and other staff members even though every school has a policy that students must follow. As a result, numerous students have been placed on suspension, dismissed from school, or even prohibited from returning, despite having internal and external exams. In a Gleaner article by Aisha Wilks dated June 2, 2022, the president of the Jamaica Teacher’s Association appealed for the resumption of civics education in the curriculum. In his remarks, he emphasizes that civics was taken from the curriculum after a “genius” came up with the notion, and now we are suffering the consequences. Since then, he claimed, “schools have experienced an increase in catastrophes in which students express little to no discipline or respect for their institutions.” Similarly, he underscored how some parents contribute to a system that tells children that learning “is not about the tightness of your jeans learning and is not hair learning”. This leads to a perpetuation of indiscipline in our culture and schools, which is evident all throughout Jamaica. Burns (2012), therefore, believes that civics is the answer to this problem and emphasizes that, “civics classes were about more than just learning the national anthem and pledge. Lessons included how to establish and sustain civil relationships, which are crucial to preserving social order and vital to improving positive interpersonal interactions, particularly when resolving conflicts.” With expectations so high, it is expected that if civics or citizenship education is reintroduced in the classroom, indiscipline will be resolved in schools.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Citizenship Education

Citizenship Education benefits include:

• Encourages active participation in civic life: Citizenship education informs people of their rights, obligations, and duties as citizens, which motivates them to participate more actively in their communities and the democratic process.
• Promotes tolerance, respect for variety, and social justice, which can contribute to the development of a society that is more cohesive and harmonious.
• Critical thinking: Critical thinking is encouraged through citizenship education, which also helps people become informed, involved citizens who are capable of making sound judgments.
• Enhances democracy: Citizenship education is essential for preserving democracy because it gives people the knowledge and abilities they need to take part in democratic processes in a meaningful way.

Citizenship Education’s drawbacks:

• Indoctrination: The promotion of a specific political philosophy or agenda through citizenship education runs the risk of indoctrinating students rather than educating them. Given the 21st century learners we have to teach today, they students maybe noncompliant towards this type of teaching because it is going against what they have learnt and stand for.
• Political goals and Ideologies: Political goals and ideologies can have an impact on citizenship education’s strategy and substance, which can lead to biased and one-sided instruction. As such, students may feel as if their opinions are not valid because these goals and ideologies are not what they have grown to know and accept.
• Controversy: Some of the themes taught in citizenship education, such as touchy subjects like gender identity, immigration or nationalism, may be contentious, resulting in debates and rifts between communities or among students. It may also lead to bullying and discrimination among the students in the classroom.
• Implementation challenges: Citizenship education calls for knowledgeable teachers who can convey the material clearly. However, implementation could be challenging due to a lack of resources or a paucity of competent teachers. It’s implementation may also be challenged based on the timetable of the students, resources, the school board, among other factors.

References

Burns, C. (2012). Good move to reintroduce civics in schools. The Jamaica Observer.

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/good-move-to-reintroduce-civics-in-schools/

IGI Global (n.d.) What is citizenship Education?

https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/heritage-education-and-global-citizenship/67945

Jamaica Information Service. (2012). Jamaicans Welcome Re-Introduction of Civics

https://jis.gov.jm/jamaicans-welcome-re-introduction-of-civics/

UNICEF. (2018). Situation Analysis of Jamaican Children- 2018. Pg. 8 https://www.unicef.org/jamaica/media/546/file/SituationAnalysisofJamaicanChildren

Wilks, A. (2022). JTA head renews call for reintroduction of civics into schools.The Jamaica Gleaner. https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20220602/jta-head-renews-call-reintroduction- civics-schools

Young Citizens (2021, August 5). importance of citizenship education. https://www.youngcitizens.org/resources/citizenship/importance-of-citizenship- education/

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