With a large number of Americans failing to make the grade when it comes to general knowledge about the federal government, Florida education officials are stepping up to the plate to remedy the situation.
Beginning next school year, the state intends to make passing an end-of-year civics exam a critical part of the grading process in middle school. Students already take civics classes in the seventh grade, but starting in the 2013-14 school year, they’ll have to pass the exam to be promoted, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The test will count as 30 percent of a student’s civics grade.
Florida made at least one semester of civics mandatory in 2010.
Both moves have come on the heels of national surveys that showed a high percentage of American citizens couldn’t name the three branches of government, a Supreme Court justice or even basic information about the Constitution. In 2010, for example, Newsweek gave 1,000 Americans the U.S. citizenship test. A total of 38 percent failed.
Other statistics quoted by the Times are more alarming. Read the full article for details.
How important do you think civics classes are? Should the state make passing mandatory for promotion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
It seems we continue to bounce from one extreme to the other. We went from de-emphasizing everything that isn't on the FCAT to now making a single end-of-year test grounds for being held back? Do we really need another "all or nothing" scenario to put more stress on our students? If this knowledge is so important, let's just make it a regular class each year. Even if a 7th grader passes this test do we really think they will hold on to this knowledge through their adult lives based on one school year's class?
Civics once was as important as reading, writing and arithmetic. The three core subjects prepared a student to compete in society. Civics prepared the student to participate in operating the society. No longer. What would be taught and tested? "how many branches of government are there?" What is "ex post facto?" How about, "in a brief essay discuss how government is a cooperative exercise in rule making for the benefit of all." Before starting the course, require all candidates for office to take the test as a condition of qualifying. Many - if not most - of our elected "leaders" have no real understanding of the separation of powers or the reason behind having both a senate and a house of representatives. Most important they don't understand that a democracy operates through compromise. How in the world can we possibly expect students to gain any valuable understanding of government when our state and federal governments are paralyzed by incivility and a determination that government is a "battle" between factions and the representative is sent to congress to "fight" for his constituents? Civics is an important course but is irrelevant in a society in which government is so dysfunctional that it cannot get beyond hot button nonsense in order to regulate a civilized society.
I have to tell all you parents that the better thing to do is to get your children focused on some field of study that will take a certificate of study or two year degree from a local college or institution. I really recommend checking out Seminole State College's website only because it is so clear in what it says and it says over 90% of its students find jobs upon graduation.
That is scary. Now that the Florida Education officials are promoting Civics Classes, I have to wonder. If not done honorably, this would be a great way for our educational system to indoctrinate young minds towards a desirable goal.