No. 12

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The key to success: citizens who have a love of learning, are enterprising and are ready for cooperation

  • Mare Räis

    National Examination and Qualification Centre, chief civic education specialist; co-chairman of the Estonian Civic Society Development Concept Implementation Commission's Civics and Public Awareness Workgroup

Disputes on whether the onus should be on civics class in school (in the field of civic education) have lost its point: civics has become everyone’s common concern.

It is especially important to adhere to the principle of engagement in defining the concept of a civic education. The Estonian civic society development concept implementation commission’s civics and public awareness workgroup is made up of interest groups, which creates a forum where people can contribute their thoughts on how to modernize the civics studies curriculum. The workgroup makes sure that civics as taught in public schools would cover the various aspects of civics studies and support the formation of students’ civic values. The topic of the curriculum has been discussed at various meetings, with a round table on the subject also planned. It is important that as many students as possible be involved in shaping youth policy in the schools, so that student government would not only be the province of the successful and those who take the initiative. Engagement does not only require active participation, but also the skill of arriving at and defending one’s position. Classes in the subject will, it seems, not be sufficient for developing this ability.

Full article in Estonian

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