Education: Civics studies vital to our future

Re: “Education: Shape all kids to be capable citizens,” (TNT letter, 1/9).

I agree with the letter writer that education should teach students to be responsible citizens. However, she does not discuss how to do that — by restoring civics education in our schools.

Christopher Dale’s article “We urgently need better civics education” recently appeared on the TNT’s website. He cited survey results by the University of Pennsylvania showing only 1 in 4 respondents could name all three branches of government.

One in three couldn’t name any. Thirty-seven percent couldn’t name any of our First Amendment rights.

Is it any wonder that President Trump and his followers see no problem calling for banning or imprisoning journalists, or trying to prevent a book critical of him from being published?

Even worse, few citizens speak out against such violations of our democratic laws and institutions.

By 2012, Dale stated, only nine states tested students’ understanding of civics as a requirement for diplomas.

The result is “high school graduates who don’t understand what they’ve been pledging allegiance to each morning since kindergarten.”

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Education: Civics studies vital to our future."