The implications of citizenship education

The link between education for democratic citizenship and educational assessment practices is substantial, says Leonard Grech in a two-part article.

As a first reaction to the title one might perhaps wonder what is the connection between Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) and Educational Assessment Practices, particularly those being implemented in Malta. At a closer look, however, one immediately realises that far from being superficial, the relationship is very substantial.

The Council of Europe proclaimed 2005 as the European Year of Citizenship Through Education. During the year various activities have been taking place in European countries focusing mostly on the role of education in the preparation of young people for democratic citizenship.

Malta is no exception in organising activities of this kind. One of these activities was a five-day-long European Workshop held last March. It was entitled Citizenship: An Educational Challenge and was organised by the Department for Curriculum Management in conjunction with that for Student Services and International Relations. Apart from the Maltese participants, there were representatives from 10 other European countries. The special guest speaker was Audrey Oster from the Centre for Citizenship and Human Rights Education at the University of Leeds.

Professor Osler captivated her audience with her presentations. She dwelt on the maxim that "committed citizens can change the world", which brings us to the challenge mentioned above, namely that of using education to influence citizenship. It was pointed out that citizenship is not just a status, which gives certain rights to the individual (for example the right to reside in the country, or the right to work and to vote). It is also a feeling intertwined with a sense of identity and therefore a sense of belonging. Of course this general feeling of unity depends on whether all citizens enjoy equal rights in a given region or country. Discrimination, whether official or not, undermines the concept of citizenship, which has to be founded on justice, solidarity and brotherhood. Citizenship involves the acquisition of certain skills and values - pre-requisites for those who wish to live together despite their differences, be they political, social, religious, racial or cultural. Having a sense of tolerance is not good enough. Respect for the human person is basic if we really want to appreciate each other and truly start celebrating differences.

Considering the fact that in Malta, as elsewhere, society is becoming less and less homogenous in various aspects of life, Professor Osler's remark that citizenship education needs a common platform, assumes significant importance. This common platform has to be the study, the understanding, and the respect for human rights. Such rights apply to all, whether citizens of one's country or not, and are therefore universal and indivisible. The documents related to human rights include the United Nations Charter (1945), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the European Convention of Human Rights (1950), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the United Kingdom Human Rights Act (1998), as well as our own Constitution and the European Union Constitution.

It is the respect for human rights that guarantees our security, dignity, democracy, freedom and the right to participation. Children have to internalise the concept of reciprocity, that is the idea that "I respect you and you respect me". This is what solidarity means in practice.

When we speak of human rights we are speaking about real people. It is not a question of merely studying the documents. You can have an expert on human rights who still feels detached from his or her obligations towards others. Citizenship education in a democracy is a failure unless it results in a sense of commitment to bring about change whenever human rights are being violated. It is very comforting to believe that committed citizens can change the world.

To achieve this they need to be acquainted with the past so as to understand the present and be able to plan for the future. Children have to be guided in order to be able to realise that certain things should be preserved and other things should be changed. Therefore it is our duty to ensure that children develop those skills which will help them to face change, and other skills which will help them to be change agents.

Mr Grech is an education officer at the Educational Assessment Unit. Views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Education Division.

Next week: Citizenship education in a European context.