Democracy and School Free Essay

The Importance of Teaching Democracy in Public Schools

 

Democracy is a system of government “owned” and “decided” by the people, it can be simply called a government by the people, of the people, and for the people. This was amalgamated from various definitions of democracy in the past and in modern terms. Merrian Webster dictionary defines democracy as a government in which the people holds the supreme power and can decide who rules them by means of an election. Other definitions explain democracy as a system of government that allows the people to exercise power directly or indirectly by the use of an electoral system. However, how do we understand democracy? How do we believe that citizens of a country have the power to decide its affairs and how it is ruled? Thomas Jefferson and many other historians have attributed the success of a country and democracy to effective learning, they believed that if the citizens were educated, the future of the country would be in safe hands.

As a result, Jefferson introduced a bill called “a bill for a more general diffusion of knowledge” this bill allows free boys and girls to attend school for three years and after three years, those whose parents could afford further education would go on to further their education, and gifted students are eligible for scholarships. It involved building public schools to accommodate these willing students in a bid to sustain democracy. Democracy prevents a tyrannical rule, in which one person dictates the outcome of its citizens, democracy plays a key role in the developed countries and as suggested by Jefferson in the past, education is key to sustaining this form of government. Many high school and college students are not involved in matters about democracy, many articles have pointed out reasons for this, Benenson, Brower, and Thomas (2016) identified that this could be as a result of less motivated college students or the fact that most universities and colleges are not interested in adding political discussions and civic duties as part of their curriculum. Furthermore, these students are not engaged in political matters and this reduces the so-called educated voters to less than 60 percent leaving the majority of voting to be done by old men and women (King & Hale, 2016). Education would allow the majority of voters select their leaders wisely fighting against tyranny, it would also allow citizens to understand and protect their rights. Knowledge gives an individual a certain power to decide how his or her life turns out regardless of where he or she comes from, it is known that education breaks down many barriers individually, socially and even politically. Many people believe that education is the key to equality in government.

Public schools are being tasked with the job of teaching her students about their civic responsibilities and making them informed citizens, this allows constructive decisions in choosing the right people to lead them over the course of a certain period and as a result, a better country. There are dedicated teachers who are ready to teach these students how to be productive in society, it is believed that the best schools are the ones that are rooted in the communities giving the students sense of responsibilities in these communities and the world at large (Covello, D’Agostino, 1958). In recent times, democracy and voting seem to be under strain, in a survey, it was discovered that about two-thirds of Americans cannot name the three branches of the government (Kahlenberg & Janey, 2016; Educated Citizen, 2014). With the recent ongoings around the world, it has become more important than ever to maintain a high democratic standard in the country and with recent surveys, many millennials are uninterested in voting or taking part in any politically related activities. This can put democracy in danger and open the door for a tyrannical government,  (Educated Citizen, 2014) hence the importance of teaching democracy and civic responsibilities in our public schools, according to the words of Thomas Jefferson, “ if a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and would never be” (Educated Citizen, 2014.p. 19). Democracy needs informed citizens and voters to survive, developed nations need democracy for growth, hence the teaching is one of the priorities of public schools (Educated Citizen, 2014). This would help the students to be analytical and apply critical thinking skills when it comes to choosing the right leader for the nation, furthermore, students would be able to appreciate the benefits of liberal democracy, one that allows them to make informed decisions regarding themselves, their families and the nation as a whole. It is necessary that millennials understand the importance of voting, the power to influence the policies and governing structure of the nation which can have a major impact on their lives.

In conclusion, teaching history, civics, literature, and culture in public schools could help cultivate democratic practices and knowledge as well as instill belief in democratic values amongst young students.

References

Covello, L., & D’Agostino, G. (1942). The Heart Is the Teacher (New York, 1958). Joseph W. Tait, Some Aspects of the Effect of the Dominant American Culture Upon Children of Italian-Born Parents, 443-49.

Educated Citizen (2014). Retrieved from The school in the United States.

Fraser, J. W. (2014). The school in the United States: A documentary history. Routledge.

Kahlenberg, R. D., & Janey, C. (2016). Putting democracy back into public education. The Century Foundation. Retrieved on 29 January 2019 from https://tcf.org/content/report/putting-democracy-back-public-education/?session=1

King, B. A., & Hale, K. (Eds.). (2016). Why Don’t Americans Vote? Causes and Consequences. ABC-CLIO.

Merriam Webster (n.d). Democracy. Retrieved on 29 January 2019 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy

 

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

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freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
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[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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