Introduction
People have seen education and its major goals differently depending on the cultural, economic, and political peculiarities of their societies. Although the major idea behind educating younger generations has been their development and their transition to complete involvement in social life, the aims and methods still differ considerably (Kirylo, 2013). Brighouse (2006) states that liberal democracies have generated a specific view on the role of education in relation to citizenship that implies law-abiding, active political participation, and engagement in public reasoning. In simple terms, the role of educators is to teach children to be true citizens who can contribute to the evolvement of their countries. This viewpoint is beneficial for the evolvement of humanity, and all countries should concentrate on making younger generations responsible and active citizens. This paper includes a brief summary of this aim of education, which is citizenship.
Main body
The concept of citizenship is complex, and in liberal democracies, it contains several elements. The components described by Brighouse (2006) mentioned above unveil the major controversy related to citizenship. A good citizen concentrates on the public good by abiding by laws and taking an active part in the political life of their country. At the same time, participation in public reasoning presupposes an element of individuality and people’s needs. According to Dewey, education is mainly concerned with personal growth that inevitably results in people’s self-realization within the frames of society (Wadlington, 2013).
The thinker emphasized that people learn to acknowledge their potential and be able to fulfill it by making the world better in diverse aspects. The process of making good citizens, as Dewey saw it, was associated with personal growth that translated into people’s desire to contribute and shape society in accordance with certain beliefs and principles. Well-educated people become citizens who can create and maintain a world where all have equal opportunities, rights, and responsibilities. These societies are just and based on such liberal values as equality, empathy, and commitment to continuous growth.
The major strength of such views on education in its relation to citizenship is the focus on the development of the public good based on major moral principles. People strive for a just society where people do not suffer from hunger, disease, injustice, poverty, and other vices of the contemporary world. Education provides the instruments to address these issues as people create new medications and new technologies to make this world better.
However, this approach also has a significant weakness that can be regarded as the premise for the occurrence of injustice. Clearly, educators can inspire younger generations to adopt their vision, but the modern educational systems do not fully equip learners with exact tools to become responsible citizens. Some researchers express their concerns regarding the methods employed to achieve the mentioned goal. For instance, Kirylo (2013) claims that current educational strategies are mainly confined to standards and achieving certain academic goals. However, educators do not show the path to align individual goals with societal aims. Children are taught to compete to occupy some positions in society rather than undertake some measures to eliminate the wrongs.
Moreover, the focus on personal achievements may contribute to various gaps between different groups of people. For instance, young people may pay less attention to ethical standards and contributing to the community, and attempt to increase their profit when doing business. Acquiring resources at any expense can become a new philosophy unless young generations are taught to be responsible citizens. One of the effective ways to change the current educational system aiming at citizenship is to encourage students to discuss diverse instances of injustice (Bickmore, 2006). Bickmore (2006) illustrates this claim with the school curriculum of different Canadian provinces. The researcher emphasizes that educators try to avoid such controversial topics, but in some schools, discussions of such topics as poverty, third-world countries’ development, justice, and injustice take place (Bickmore, 2006). Discussions are effective tools educators can employ as students will voice some of the most burning issues, which is the first step towards solving problems.
In addition to discussions, educators can utilize other strategies to prepare their students for becoming responsible citizens. One of these strategies is to encourage young people to address injustice at different levels and be active citizens. Educators should train young people to identify the primary reasons behind particular cases of injustice and implement research regarding the issue and ways employed to eliminate or diminish it in different situations or countries. Educators should also teach students to contact various institutions and authorities correctly and effectively. Notably, teachers may also need certain training to provide corresponding educational services.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that citizenship as one of the major goals of education can be attainable if the educational systems in liberal democracies undergo changes. It is critical to incorporate discussions of the current controversies and injustice that still reigns in many spheres of people’s lives into schools’ curriculum. Apart from postulating the need to contribute to the development of society, learners should be trained to use their knowledge and skills to become responsible citizens. Teachers can train students to identify issues, explore them, generate ideas, and address authorities correctly. Educators should develop effective strategies to make young generations willing and prepared to address the existing and upcoming issues through collaboration and commitment to the public good.
References
Bickmore, K. (2006). Democratic social cohesion (assimilation)? Representations of social conflict in Canadian public school curriculum. Canadian Journal of Education, 29(2), 359-386.
Brighouse, H. (2006). On education. New York, NY: Routledge.
Kirylo, J. D. (2013). Introduction: Resistance, courage, and action. In J. D. Kirylo (Ed.), A critical pedagogy of resistance: 34 pedagogues we need to know (pp. 29-32). Rotterdam, the Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
Wadlington, E. (2013). John Dewey: Pragmatist, philosopher, and advocate of progressive education. In J. D. Kirylo (Ed.), A critical pedagogy of resistance: 34 pedagogues we need to know (pp. 29-32). Rotterdam, the Netherlands: Sense Publishers.