Rachel Becker
Re-envisioning
Education and Democracy
Public
Intellectual Essay
LEARNING THROUGH DOING: REVIVING DEMOCRACY
THROUGH REVISING STUDENT GOVERNMEN
“It
is only as children and youth are treated as full contributors to the school
and the social good that democracy is real for them. Then, and only then, a different vision of
the nation, and the contribution which every child can make to building the
nation, can emerge” (Fraser, 1997).
Citizenship--commitment to and
participation in a community’s civic life--is the engine of constitutional
democracy. Knowledge of the rights,
responsibilities, and privileges of citizenship fuel that engine. Without the participation of informed,
effective, and responsible citizens, a democratic republic cannot and does not
function, nor can it make progress toward its ideals. It is important, therefore, that Americans
understand the civic values on which the nation was founded and has since been
guided. It is also important to assess
young people’s knowledge of civics and their understanding of the principles by
which the nation does and must govern itself.
Any increase in citizens’ civic knowledge, skills, and participation
strengthens our republic; any reduction in their knowledge, skills, and
participation weakens it. Thus, civic
education is central to American education and essential to the well being of
American constitutional democracy (National Assessment Governing Board, 2002).
In this paper, I delve into the
question of increasing civic education in public secondary schools in order to
increase political participation and foster debate about democracy. I am doing this under the principle that
public secondary education should teach students, first and foremost, to think
critically, to form their own opinions and ideas, and to be active citizens in
a constitutional democracy. Civic
education will best fulfill these goals by using a multi-faceted approach,
largely encompassing three main components: a) Student Government b) Community
Service and Community Engagement c) Civic Curriculum.
In this essay, I address the first of
these three components by shifting the focus from content (what is taught) to
method (how it is taught). I do this
because ideal curriculum planning combines content and assessment components so
that they complement one another and constitute coherent methods for
accomplishing civics goals. In an effort
to address multiple aspects of increasing democratic education in public
secondary schools, I have divided this paper into three principal
sections. These are: why we need to
increase civic education, why we need to increase civic education through
student government, and how we should implement student government
effectively. This paper is an attempt to
aid schools in acting as models of democratic institutions, as well as
fostering connections between schools and governments. This paper is written for administrators,
teachers, educational policy makers, students, and other interested parties. In particular, though, it is intended for
teachers and administrators--the pivotal actors who shape school governance and
effect change as they work with students.
One may question why a greater emphasis
must be placed on civic education; this query may be answered in a number of
ways. Firstly, a recent report for the
1998 National Civics Assessment revealed alarming deficiencies in the civic
knowledge of school children. The civics
assessment, conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress,
showed three-fourths of fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders fail to exhibit a
proficient command of civic knowledge and skills, the expected standard. Moreover, thirty percent are virtual civic
illiterates, lacking a basic grasp of political institutions and practices (Robinson,
2000). Secondly, democracy may be
presently defined and interpreted to mean vastly different things; diverse
interpretations of such an important topic have both positive and negative
consequences in terms of the modes to which they play out in practice. One may argue that our current “democratic”
system is, in reality, highly unethical and essentially the antithesis to the
beliefs of equality, fraternity, and justice that it is attempting to uphold. More specifically, the 2000 Presidential
election was characterized to be one of the most undemocratic processes in the
history of our government. I beg to
differ that this was the most undemocratic practice in recent history because I
see undemocratic practices occurring daily through our government (i.e. with
the power that corporations hold in determining where tax revenue comes from
and how it is distributed) but regardless, this event brought to the forefront
of political thought, at least for some time, the undemocratic nature of our
society; the people en masse outwardly voiced their discontent with the
government and with the political process.
But now time has passed and,
particularly in the aftermath of September 11, the American people are standing
behind the first President that was not elected by the populace. The consequences of the fact that the people
are now rallying behind this man are great, because it is furthering the belief
of those in power that the United States is omnipotent and that this country
will remain the world’s superpower, regardless how undemocratic these acts
are. Likewise, added to these feelings
about democracy are those of ambivalence, indifference, and helplessness. “Americans tend to perceive the Constitution
as ‘a machine that would go of itself.’
Our constitution’s very success has created indifference in many
citizens to investing themselves in the political system that sustains their
prosperity and well-being” (Center for Civic Education, 2001).
The rationale that I have explained
above--that Americans feel uncertain, indifferent, or helpless about
democracy--is common in society. This is
not to say that all Americans feel this way, but I assert that far too many
do. Since these are the sentiments of
many Americans, they are also the attitudes that students learn from school,
from the media, and from their families and friends. The majority of the factors involving one’s
opinions on democracy cannot be altered--at least not without vast reforming
measures or changes within society.
However, the one principle area that we may attempt to reform is the
interplay between democracy and education; it is for this reason that I believe
the topic of topic of civic education must be explored.
An additional motivation for deciding
upon this topic involves a present debate surrounding the need to change
political components such as the constitution and Electoral College in order to
uphold democracy in contemporary society and to redistribute power more
equitably. Some feel that these changes
are pivotal to sustain democracy, while others feel that democracy may be
achieved while maintaining the status quo.
In order for young adults to begin voicing their concerns and forming
ideas about these issues, an increase in civic education is needed. Increasing civic education is widely
supported as a means to improving government performance. “A 1999 survey conducted for the Council on
Excellence in government found that 83% of the respondents thought civic
education of young people would be very effective or fairly effective in
improving the performance of our government; 65% thought it would be very
effective” (Center for Civic Education, 1998).
Lastly, this topic is of great
importance because I believe that a well-informed and thoughtful populace is
the best means to producing a more democratic society and that this populace
will only be created through increasing civic education. Drastically low
voter turnout rates are scarcely a new phenomenon, nor is the distributing rise
in civic indifference, mistrust, and disengagement among young adults. Yet compiled with the aforementioned recent
report for the 1998 National Civics Assessment it is time to recognize that
something must be done.
III.
Why We Need To Increase Civic Education Through
Student Government
Now that it is understood that civic
education must be emphasized and expanded upon in schools, the next step is to
determine how we should address the lack of attention it presently
receives. Because constructive education
utilizes practice as well as precept, movements which set an example for high
standards of democratic action play a pivotal part in democratic
instruction. Schools are communities
with characteristics similar to the broader communities in which we live, and
they must be viewed as such. Political,
social, and economic decisions are constantly being made regarding schools that
have a direct impact on the members of that community—students, faculty,
administration, and staff. As one of the
most important purposes of education is to prepare young people to become
active and informed citizens of the communities in which they live, it is
essential that students be given meaningful opportunities to participate in the
governance of the school community. According
to the National Council for Social Studies, the establishment of an effective
student government in every school can best create such opportunities. Effective student governments serve a number
of important purposes. They are
laboratories in which students can learn and practice essential citizenship
skills, respect for human dignity, and the value of the democratic
process. Additionally, they offer
valuable forums for advocating new ideas and initiating school improvements. Student governments also provide a platform
for the orderly expression of conflictive viewpoints and procedures for
resolving conflicts when students disagree with policies and decisions that
affect their lives (National Council for the Social Studies, 2002).
There are critical skills and knowledge
that may be derived most fruitfully through student government. Student government will engage students in
the difficult process of confronting ethical and value-based dilemmas,
encourage students to speculate, think critically, and make personal and civic
decisions based on information from multiple perspectives. It will also prepare young people to
identify, understand, and work to solve the problems facing our diverse nation
in an increasingly interdependent world.
Exemplary programs striving for democracy develop social and civic
participation skills that prepare students to work in diverse groups to address
problems by discussing alternative strategies, making decisions, and taking
action; to pursue social and civic agendas through persuasion, negotiation, and
compromise; and to participate actively in civic affairs. Involvement through informed public
discussion of policy issues is direct preparation for active citizenship,
especially when it culminates in decisions and actions that have real
consequences.
There are numerous ways in which
student government programs affect students.
Some of these ways include: fostering individual and cultural identity
along with understanding of the forces that hold society together or pull it
apart; participating in and observing of the school and community; addressing
critical issues in the world as it is; preparing students to make decisions
based on democratic principles; and leading to citizen participation in public
affairs. “When teachers model
fundamental democratic principles in their classrooms, discuss them as they are
related to curriculum content and current events, and make them integral to the
school’s daily operation through involving students in making decisions that
affect them, civic education and awareness are immeasurably strengthened”
(National Council for the Social Studies, 2002). Universities nationwide are coming to this
realization and in so doing are increasingly recognizing students as legitimate
participants in the decision-making process.
“Students are being placed on top-level policy committees, allowed to
peruse the budget, given much greater authority over parietal rules, consulted
in the selection of new presidents, and, in some institutions, formally seated
with the board of trustees” (Shaffer, 1970).
As shown in the attached “Experiential
Education Cycle handout,” engaging in experiential learning, such as with
student government, may result in a cycle of reflection, new knowledge,
transfer, and back to experience.
Experience leads to learning.
Upon reflection of that learning, one may extract the lessons of
experience in their purest form by reviewing the concrete steps taken in an
activity and examining them for the knowledge they offer. This reflection then leads to new knowledge
as the lessons learned are applied to a variety of situations. There is also a transfer that involves
examining situations in the participant’s environment in which the lessons
learned can be used and applied to other areas.
In the case of civic education, when students engage in student
government activities, they learn from, and reflect upon, these activities and
then use their knowledge outside of school as they increase their political
participation and deliberate discussion of democracy.
The CIVITAS framework, developed by the
Center for Civic Education in
Upon recognition that student government must be
given a far more substantial role in secondary schools, one might question the
feasibility of this seemingly difficult task.
This query is, in fact, quite useful since there are significant
challenges that must be dealt with in order to make student government
influential in schools. Yet these
challenges can be overcome, or at least confronted. In order to expedite this process, I first
address the challenges facing student governments, I then suggest ways to
overcome them, and lastly I introduce a set of guidelines to assist schools in
creating meaningful student governments.
There are seven principal factors that challenge
the effectiveness of student government.
First, students are unsophisticated about the policy process
itself. Second, students are
transients. In other words, students who
achieve an understanding of the process soon graduate, and their successors do
not benefit from their experience.
Third, students do not have access to the information essential for effective
participation. Fourth, student
government usually does not have the facilities and staff normally available to
other process participants (i.e. the administration). Fifth, students are usually students first and policy participants second. Sixth, the people with whom students are
participating sometimes treat them in a condescending manner (Shaffer,
1970). Seventh, and arguably most
importantly, it must be decided upon how representation is assured. In other words, on what basis is representation
guaranteed? Is it through thought,
ethnicity, or majority? Whose values, attitudes, and habits will this representation
attempt to uphold?
Although these are difficult barriers to the
effectiveness of student government, there are several policy suggestions that
will help to overcome them. As already
noted, coursework supplements and strengthens student government; thus, student
naiveté should be met by offering civics classes that deal with the
participation process. Likewise, the
school administration should inform students well in advance of impending
policy decisions. Schools should also
grant academic credit for student government participation in an effort to
overcome students’ problems with overextension of time. Furthermore, condescension should be fought
by encouraging all non-student participants to cooperate and by publicly
promoting confidence in student capabilities.
Additionally, it is necessary to permanently invest extensive power in
the hands of the government. When this
power is exercised, the decisions must be honored. The administration should give public
evidence of its regard for the student government. “The administration must act as if it means
what it says about students being true participants. A policy of telling students that they are
effective participating, without according them the prestige accorded to other
established participants, is doomed” (Shaffer, 1970). The student government must be granted a
substantial amount of money, in order to carry out their decisions, as
well. Lastly, there must be open
dialogues and discussions to determine how representation will be assured. An outcome of these discussions might be, for
example, that a school constitution be created by students, teachers,
administrators, and all interested parties in order to formulate written rules
of ensuring equal representation.
Along with these policy suggestions, the following
principles and guidelines may assist schools in the creation of effective and
meaningful systems of student government:
--All students should
be participants in the governance of their school community. --Every student
government should be based on a written constitution that includes an orderly
appeal process for resolving conflicts between students and the school
administration, faculty, or staff.
--Every student
government should have a written code of ethics, which includes a process for
removing students who violate that code.
--Students
participating in student government must be representative; that is, each one
should be acting for a substantial group of like-minded peers.
--Students
participating in student government should, first and foremost, be advocates
for the ideals and interests of students.
--Students
participating in student government should work for the common good of the
community.
--Students
participating in student government should serve as members of substantive
decision-making bodies at all levels of the school community where students’
interests are at stake.
--Students participating
in student government should be taught how to access and utilize the channels
of power to affect decision-making within their school community.
--Students
participating in student government should be taught how to obtain and use the
information they need to become informed and effective advocates of students’
ideals and interests.
--Students
participating in student government should understand and be encouraged to
exercise their legal rights and responsibilities as both students and citizens.
--Students
participating in student government should have a working knowledge of the
constantly evolving constitutional principles that apply to students and school
communities.
--Students
participating in student government should develop and practice the values,
attitudes, and habits of mind and heart that are essential to the democratic
process.
--Students
participating in student government should be encouraged to practice and
develop their skills as decision makers and community organizers.
--Students participating
in student government should learn how to communicate the problems, concerns,
goals, and successes of their governing body to others.
--Students
participating in student government should have regularly scheduled
opportunities to communicate with and seek input from their fellow
classmates. --Students participating
in student government should be taught the principles of substantive and
procedural due process and be expected to use these principles and procedures
appropriately.
--Students participating
in student government should learn to distinguish appropriately between their
twin roles as trusted leader and trusted servant of the student body.
--Faculty advisors
working with student government should be qualified to teach students the skills,
values, attitudes, and habits of mind and heart that will enable them to grow
and develop as both trusted leaders and trusted servants.
--School administrators
should work with and support student government. --Meetings and workshops with
student governments from neighboring schools should be scheduled regularly to
provide students with opportunities to share ideas, concerns, and experience.
--All students should
have equal access to student government, not just gifted students in advanced
programs or student leaders hand-picked by teachers.
As this paper attempts to illustrate,
student government must be reemphasized and restructured in secondary
schools. Why? “Because it is time in our civic life when
the role of central government is declining and other sectors are being called
upon to address our community needs and reinvigorate our democracy” (Campus
Compact, 2001). Increasing civic
education through student government is a direct model of action that has the
potential to immediately increase democratic learning in schools. This is not to say that student government is
the only means within which democratic education may be achieved. On the contrary, cultivating minds with
unique visions for society and the abilities to make them a reality is a
monumental task that requires a thoughtful and holistic approach to
education. Yet increasing civic
education through student government is advantageous because it can be
implemented feasibly within the short-term, it does not deal with the
complexities that result from changing curriculums, it encompasses all of the
benefits of hands-on learning exercises, and there are immediate results both
within schools and within students’ comprehension.
Unfortunately, many people cannot
remember what their student government was like, what it did, who was in it or
what programs it implemented; this is due to the insignificant role that
student government has in schools. Contemporary student government is, on
average, nothing more than a body of students (often hand-picked by teachers)
deciding what color decorations should be displayed at prom and what kind of
food should be served in the cafeteria.
It holds little power in the decision-making process and is rarely taken
seriously by students, faculty, or the administration. This must change. Although some of the
aforementioned policy suggestions and student government guidelines are easier
implemented than others, they are integral to the formation of an effective
student government and may be achieved as teachers, students, administrators,
and educational policy makers collaborate to achieve one goal at a time.
According to the National Council for
the Social Studies, “The primary purpose of the social studies is to help young
people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the
public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an
interdependent world” (2002). What
better way to do that than by creating a system where students may embrace a
substantial role in a democratic society, where they have power to govern
themselves, where they can learn critical thinking and problem solving skills,
and where they can understand what it means to participate in a representative
democracy? Just like with student
government, everyone has a part to play in making this vision a reality. Let us start today.
VI. Sources and Extensions
Branson, Margaret Stimmann. “The Role of Civic
Education.” Center for Civic Education.
1998. www.civiced.org/articles_role.html
Burdette, Franklin L. “Education for Citizenship.” Public
Opinion Quarterly. Volume 6, Issue 2 1942. pp269-279.
“Chapter One: Introduction.” National Assessment
of Educational Progress. 2002. www.naep.org
“CIVITAS: A Framework for Civic Education Executive
Summary” Center for Civic Education. 2001. www.civiced.org/civitasexex.html
“Defining the Engaged Campus.” Campus Compact. 2001. www.compact.org/advancedtoolkit.defining.html
Fraser, James W. Reading, Writing, and Justice: School Reform As if Democracy Matters. New York,
State University of New York Press. 1997. p106.
McDonnell, Lorraine M., P. Michael Timpane, and Roger
Benjamin. Rediscovering the Democratic Purposes of Education. University Press of Kansas, 2000.
National Commission on Civic Renewal. 2002. www.puaf.umd.edu/affiliates.civicrenewal.html
“Resources for Social Studies Educators.” National Council for the Social Studies: Databank.
2002. www.databank.ncss.org/article.html
Robinson, Cassandra. “Groups Form to Fight Declining
Civic Knowledge.” University of Maryland Office of
University Relations. 2000. www.inform.umd.edu/newsdesk/releases/2000/00072r.html
Shaffer, Jay C. “Students in the Policy Process.” Journal
of Higher Education. Volume 41, Issue 5 1970. pp341-349.