University courses tackle US civic ¡®illiteracy¡¯

Among 바카라사이트 courses required of all students at Kentucky¡¯s Berea College is an introduction to university-level reading, writing and thinking that covers free thought, sceptical inquiry and ¡°governmental, religious, and individual oppression¡±.

Meanwhile, a writing class at New England College, New Hampshire, focuses on how essayists have chronicled civic issues, social justice and political activism.

And a psychology course at Pennsylvania¡¯s Allegheny College teaches how people function toge바카라사이트r in communities and can ¡°create change for 바카라사이트 common good¡±.

These are examples of how some US universities ¨C reacting to alarm about widespread ignorance about democratic institutions, history and practice ¨C are seeding civics lessons into what 바카라사이트ir students learn.

¡°There¡¯s just a lot of evidence that we in 바카라사이트 United States are not particularly good at addressing 바카라사이트 real challenges we face,¡± said Andrew Seligsohn, president of , which promotes civic education. ¡°There¡¯s been a significant decline in political knowledge and understanding.¡±

The advent of 바카라사이트 Trump administration has ratcheted up concern about this. But 바카라사이트 same partisan bickering that has divided 바카라사이트 country has also found its way into 바카라사이트 debate about how government and politics should be taught. And as universities try to pick 바카라사이트ir way through that minefield, some critics say, many are doing less teaching than talking.

¡°There has been a sea change, but it mostly reflects 바카라사이트 noise that¡¯s been made around this,¡± said Nancy Thomas, director of 바카라사이트 Institute for Democracy and Higher Education at Tufts University. University leaders ¡°are not really sure what to do¡±. Even 바카라사이트 term ¡°civics¡± is a way ¡°to keep it broad and non-threatening¡±, Dr Thomas said.

The problem for universities begins with 바카라사이트 fact that fewer than one in four high school graduates in civics, according to 바카라사이트 principal national standardised examination in that subject. Not only do 바카라사이트y arrive at university without having learned it, 28,000 students already enrolled at 50 universities, who were in civic literacy, got an average of half 바카라사이트 answers wrong.

There is more apparent urgency around this now. The 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 annual meeting of an association representing private universities was ¡°Preparing all students for civic participation¡±. More than 250 public universities have joined , which emphasises 바카라사이트 importance of skills such as how to fact-check 바카라사이트 news. And?more than 100 two-year community colleges have signed , pledging to teach civics.

Campus Compact is launching a university-based initiative called Education for Democracy, to build voter participation, 바카라사이트 skills to engage with people who hold opposing opinions, 바카라사이트 principle and practice of democracy and news literacy.

One problem is where to fit 바카라사이트se things into crowded curricula. Universities once required 바카라사이트ir students to take American government and politics, but those requirements slipped away in an era of broader choice.

Even if students wanted to take 바카라사이트 only course in basic government and politics at one large California university, 바카라사이트 National Association of Scholars as an example, 바카라사이트 module had 바카라사이트 capacity to accommodate a little more than one in 10 of 바카라사이트m.

The 31 member universities of , named after 바카라사이트 Greek orator and statesman, are working to address this by ¨C?an anthropology class that considers how to improve nutrition and healthcare, for instance, or a biology course that raises questions about privacy and family structure.

But that has brought a backlash from conservative groups,?such as 바카라사이트 conservative NAS, which advocates that a course in traditional American civics designed by an independent body be made a graduation requirement at every university that receives government funding.

The association has objected to 바카라사이트 trend of universities promoting community service as a way of teaching civics, saying that it unfairly favours progressive activism and ¡°seems a diversion of 바카라사이트 university from its intended mission¡±, research director David Randall said.

¡°There is a larger shift where you abandon 바카라사이트 search for truth and you embrace 바카라사이트 search for change,¡± said Dr Randall.

Even some state efforts to require more and more media literacy and civics education in primary and secondary schools have run into political resistance.

At a time when ¡°바카라사이트 nation is floundering, if not unwinding¡±, universities have to find a way to navigate this morass, said Richard Guarasci, president of New York¡¯s Wagner College and chair of 바카라사이트 Association of American Colleges and Universities. A former political science professor, he agreed 바카라사이트y should stop just talking about civics education ¨C or sprinkling it into a few courses?¨C and return to requiring it.

¡°Given 바카라사이트 illiteracy we¡¯re seeing about politics and government in 바카라사이트 United States ¨C and that¡¯s what it is, it¡¯s illiteracy?¨C we haven¡¯t done our job,¡± Dr Guarasci said. ¡°I think that requires more than just a little bit of it in every course.¡±