The course structure in American public high school is always subject to scrutiny, and a recent study by a non-partisan group claims to find that students are receiving a civic education that turns them off to government involvement. The group, the Albert Shanker Institute, may have valid point, but it draws the wrong conclusions and attempts to remedy the problem incorrectly.
The group's most prominent gripe is based on the claim that the core curriculum is void of government issues and focuses too harshly on instances where the U.S. government is at fault. The Institute feels that political correctness has gone too far and students become indifferent, fixating on America's faults and missteps instead of a full representation of historical events. Unfortunately, they cannot provide any concrete examples of this claim.
The study claims students have become cynical of the government due to an emphasis on scandals and repression in their high school curriculums. The group claims cynicism is negative, but does not support the assertion except to say it is responsible for low voter turnout among students.
The Spectrum feels an emphasis on America's mistakes may cause cynicism, but is better than the alternative of whitewashing our nation's history. In fact, students who examine America's blunders will learn to question the government instead of accepting its actions blindly. Citizens in a democratic society must question the actions of their government, or risk totalitarianism. Cynicism may actually foster political involvement in students who feel the need for change.
Students should not be told America is evil, nor should they be told it is a perfect nation. Students must be taught in a way that allows them to make their own decisions by amassing all the information.
Schools have to maintain a very delicate balance. There is no accepted formula that leads to well-rounded students, and there is no such thing as a 'perfect' student. Schools need to maintain independence while allowing students to find what they are good at and fostering that growth. This study claims that it is time to add more emphasis on civics studies, but if it is at the expense of English or math and comes with subjective moral values, it is not ready to be integrated.
Furthermore, without specific lesson plans or concrete examples of how new classes can be taught without bias, the study is just blowing smoke. The goals of making students more politically aware are very honorable, but their efforts will not solve the problem and may even have the opposite effect.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
