Name the five fundamental rights embodied in the First Amendment.
Thought so. But you're not alone.
Especially since civics lessons have been shoehorned into social studies classes in the curriculum of most school systems.
To most observers, the importance of civics classes, or their status as a separate area of study, has declined. And most would agree that since the implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, civics, has all but been shoved aside.
It's hard to argue with the overwhelming import of math, science and reading to children, but some, like us, say that learning about voting and your rights as a citizen are just as important. Teaching government and how the legal community functions is just as important as any algebraic equation or the functions of xylem and phloem cells in plants. Many components are critical to an overall education, but few are as important as understanding the rule of law. And not just criminal laws, but everything from the fundamental, like the freedom of speech, to the incidental, like municipal leash laws.
In West Virginia's recent legislative session, two bills were introduced and one resolution was passed in the House on the importance of civics.
Of the bills on civics education, one was over the top while the other seemingly added little to what the state already requires, which is regular courses of instruction in U.S. history, the Constitution and civics, but essentially no separate classes. In an effort to restore civics education to the classroom, nearly a dozen states, including West Virginia, considered such legislation this year, according to the Center for Civics Education.
However, we were encouraged by the Houses passage of a resolution in early March to encourage the creation of a council that would make recommendations on improving civics education.
This is a good first step perhaps to call for a separate civics class in at least one grade before high school. Although we understand the need to make room for increased attention to math and reading because of NCLB, we don't agree that reducing instructional time in civics is a place to start. In one study, by the Washington-based Center for Education Policy, 71 percent of school districts surveyed said they had to cut back teaching in at least one other subject to make room for NCLB's core subjects. And more often than not, that other subject is social studies. Just because someone is exposed to civics education does not mean they are going to vote or get involved. But we are willing to bet if they were formally instructed in a separate class they would be more likely to do that.
As adults we are obligated to our community and each other to be good citizens. Civics classes teach us how compelling that obligation is - a lesson our children should be taught, too.
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