High school is a stepping stone into the adult world. Whether it’s traveling abroad, heading off to college, or starting a career, graduation means moving on to the next chapter. As students head into this new world, these situations call into question if high schoolers are properly prepared to navigate rising misinformation, especially when many of us reach voting age.
Civic learning “develops the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions of young people, resulting in effective lifelong citizens who are civically well-informed, productively engaged, and hopeful about democracy,” according to the Institute for Citizens and Scholars.
Civic knowledge is defined as “a student’s grasp of governmental processes” according to Law Insider. A deficiency in these skills hinders students from discovering the power of local, state, and federal government, and the lack of advanced civic coursework and supplementary school initiatives at MHS only enables this social disrepair.
In 2018, Pew Research Center found that there were clear differences in civic knowledge when comparing different age groups and education levels in America; 33% of Americans ages 65 and over had high levels of civic knowledge, while only 14% of Americans ages 18 to 29 were able to score the same. In terms of education, 34% of college graduates earned a high index score on civic knowledge, while only 12% of those with a high school diploma or less were able to score at similar rates.
The data clearly reveals that a high school education lacks proper instruction in civic learning. In a time when political polarization and misinformation are only increasing with the advancement of technology, there is an even better case for launching an effort toward civic competency among the young.
In “A Look at Civics Education in the United States” by Vice President of Education Policy at the Center for American Progress Catherine Brown and research assistant Sarah Shapiro, only nine states require a full year of civic education. The State of California only requires a semester of civic education to be taught to high schoolers — world history and U.S history being taught at full year lengths here at MHS.
Requiring a full year of American civics would be a statewide initiative, but that should not stop MHS from providing supplementary activities to boost democratic engagement. For example, the school could bring in outside programs, speakers, and opportunities that advocate for civic engagement to highlight the importance of a full year of American government.
Here at MHS, mock elections tend to be held every general or midterm election season, which allows students to practice skills in the democratic process of voting. Though the ASB class is the primary promoter of this event, the school could play a larger role in leading homeroom discussions, sending out informational ballot newsletters to learn about candidates and propositions, or inviting speakers from advocacy groups or the state legislature.
A September 2020 news release by the California Department of Education reported that the state board had approved a new graduation honor that California schools can provide to students who showed continued civic engagement in their community, which is titled as the State Seal of Civic Engagement, serving as an incentive “aimed at encouraging active and ongoing citizenship.” According to the 2022-23 MHS Parent and Student Handbook, such an honorary seal is absent from the list of graduation honors; as students we are being denied a key incentive towards an advanced understanding of the democratic process.
Despite many of us being on the cusp of the adult world — full of community decision-making and voting — we are not being adequately prepared with the tools, courses, or programs to assume responsibility for our civic duties. To be ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century, students must gain exposure to the democratic process and the skills necessary to participate fully in it.