Module 1
Factual Background
Chapter 3: Strategic Path and Practical Recommendations
3.1 Traditional model of citizenship education
Learning for democratic citizenship has become the common denominator in a number of formal, non- formal and informal educational settings in Europe. It has appeared in the last few decades promoting equitable and just society, open to and shaped by all its members. However, many formal programmes still consider students and teachers as the receivers of the lectures on democracy.
Citizenship education is now being taught throughout Europe and human rights education is also being considered relevant.
However, little is known of the quality and of methods and teaching materials used in the different educational.
In traditional content-based teaching, citizenship education focused on giving the students facts and information about the country’s institutional framework. The contents were more or less “timeless” and could be taught and tested systematically. From the student’s point of view, however, there was little difference between memorising facts about parliament or the different species of freshwater fish – “learnt” for the test today, forgotten tomorrow. Such a teaching approach adds very little to educating citizens to create democratic, human rights-based and inclusive communities.
Traditional models of citizenship education are not equipped to create the kind of active, informed and responsible citizens that modern democracies require. They are failing to respond to the demands of a rapidly changing social, economic, political and cultural environment – for example, in many environments learners are denied the opportunity to explore and discuss controversial social and political problems by emphasising the teaching of academic knowledge, at a time when they appear to be losing interest in traditional politics and forms of political engagement. Traditional models also focus on fragmented disciplinary knowledge and classic ‘teacher-textbook-student’ learning at a time of rapid advance in new information and communication technologies. They restrict citizenship and democratic education to factual information about ‘ideal’ systems at a time when citizens need to be taught practical skills of participation in the democratic process themselves. Often, they nurture dominant cultures and ‘common’ national loyalties at a time when political and legal recognition of cultural difference has come to be seen as a source of democratic capital.
Also, they detach education from the personal lives of learners and the interests of the local community at a time when social cohesion and solidarity is declining, and they reinforce the traditional divide between formal and informal and non-formal education at a time when education needs to address the needs of lifelong learning. Traditional models of citizenship education also promote state-focused forms of education and training at a time of increasing interconnectedness and interdependence at a regional and international level.
Besides, training teachers in this field is seldom obligatory, although it may be recommended.
Throughout Europe, teachers lack continuous and systematic preparation for their work both in pre-service and in in-service programmes. There are only a few countries where teachers are required to pass specialised pre-service or in-service courses carried out by universities or teacher training institutions. In some cases no training is provided for teachers.
Traditional model of citizenship education support teaching “about” democracy and human rights needs – this needs to be supported by the way students learn – teaching “through” democracy and human rights.
Students need learning settings that support interactive, constructivist learning and competence training.
In short, students must be active and interact – so teachers must allow them to get busy and to communicate.
Citizenship education is now being taught throughout Europe and human rights education is also being considered relevant.
However, little is known of the quality and of methods and teaching materials used in the different educational.
In traditional content-based teaching, citizenship education focused on giving the students facts and information about the country’s institutional framework. The contents were more or less “timeless” and could be taught and tested systematically. From the student’s point of view, however, there was little difference between memorising facts about parliament or the different species of freshwater fish – “learnt” for the test today, forgotten tomorrow. Such a teaching approach adds very little to educating citizens to create democratic, human rights-based and inclusive communities.
Traditional models of citizenship education are not equipped to create the kind of active, informed and responsible citizens that modern democracies require. They are failing to respond to the demands of a rapidly changing social, economic, political and cultural environment – for example, in many environments learners are denied the opportunity to explore and discuss controversial social and political problems by emphasising the teaching of academic knowledge, at a time when they appear to be losing interest in traditional politics and forms of political engagement. Traditional models also focus on fragmented disciplinary knowledge and classic ‘teacher-textbook-student’ learning at a time of rapid advance in new information and communication technologies. They restrict citizenship and democratic education to factual information about ‘ideal’ systems at a time when citizens need to be taught practical skills of participation in the democratic process themselves. Often, they nurture dominant cultures and ‘common’ national loyalties at a time when political and legal recognition of cultural difference has come to be seen as a source of democratic capital.
Also, they detach education from the personal lives of learners and the interests of the local community at a time when social cohesion and solidarity is declining, and they reinforce the traditional divide between formal and informal and non-formal education at a time when education needs to address the needs of lifelong learning. Traditional models of citizenship education also promote state-focused forms of education and training at a time of increasing interconnectedness and interdependence at a regional and international level.
Besides, training teachers in this field is seldom obligatory, although it may be recommended.
Throughout Europe, teachers lack continuous and systematic preparation for their work both in pre-service and in in-service programmes. There are only a few countries where teachers are required to pass specialised pre-service or in-service courses carried out by universities or teacher training institutions. In some cases no training is provided for teachers.
Traditional model of citizenship education support teaching “about” democracy and human rights needs – this needs to be supported by the way students learn – teaching “through” democracy and human rights.
Students need learning settings that support interactive, constructivist learning and competence training.
In short, students must be active and interact – so teachers must allow them to get busy and to communicate.
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