The renewal of civic education in France and in America: Comparative perspectives

Abstract

This article undertakes a comparative study of the renewal of civic education both in France and in America. It posits that the rising concern about the subject speaks to a broader interest for civic matters and citizenship. Civic education is in fact implicitly presented as the key solution to political apathy and disengagement of the youth and to the growing number of incivilities and violent actions at school.

The article first shows that the teaching of civics clearly remains unsatisfactory in both countries. It then reviews the major arguments presented by those who call for a renewal of the field. Finally, it explains why all these expectations are too high and concludes that schools should not be considered as the only arena of political socialization.

Notes

1 In 1985, Jean-Pierre Chevènement formally installed civic education in elementary and middle schools, allocating it 1 hr per week in middle school, with the history and the literature professors in charge. In 1989, an “orientation law” conferred to all schools a mission of education in civics.

2 For instance in the expressions “rencontres citoyennes” (civic meetings), “actions citoyennes” (civic action), “listes citoyennes” (civic electoral lists).

3 For instance : Charlot, B. and Emin, J. C. (1997). Violences à L’Ecole, l’Etat des Savoirs. Paris: Armand Colin; Meirien, P. Guiraud, M. (1997). L’Ecole ou la Guerre Civile. Paris: Plon.

4 In addition, as Ceaser and McGuinn (1998) observe, “the list of political theorists writing in civic education reads like a who's who of academia, and almost anyone who wants to address a major theme of democratic theory feels compelled today to put it in a discourse about education”.

5 This is one of the findings of a survey of 28 countries completed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.

6 See Center for Civic Education (1995). See also: Bulletin Officiel de l’Education Nationale, spécial no. 9, 26 August, 1999: Education Civique (cycles 2 et 3).

7 Still centralized in France (Boulanger et al., 2001) despite the “decentralization” measures (the state still holds responsibility for the curricula, the schedules, examinations, recruiting, management, administration and finance, whereas territorial collectivities – i.e., regions, counties and towns – take care of logistical issues, transportation, construction and maintenance of building), education in America is a state's concern.

8 Teachers in France still enjoy a higher status compared to their American's colleagues, even if their working conditions and their image have definitely degraded over the past decades.

9 For example, students in American public schools are less knowledgeable about politics, report lower participatory skills, feel less politically efficacious and are less tolerant (regarding controversial books) according to the Center for Public Education 1998 Statistical Analysis Report.

10 La Citoyenneté en Débat. (1998). Sciences Humaines, 88, 12–17.

11 United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (1997). Students Participation in Community Service Activity, NCES 97-331. Washington, DC.

12 The study focused on students’ level of political tolerance and showed that those students who had followed a class in civics displayed overall more political tolerance.

13 Among 14-year-olds in the 28 countries surveyed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, almost all cited televisions news broadcast as the most prominent sources of political information.

14 The evolution of the term in France actually denotes an evolution toward more participatory classes. First entitled “civic instruction” then “civic education”, the topic is now referred to as “education to citizenship”.

15 One class committee is held at the end of each trimester to discuss each student's case, i.e., three per year.

16 L’Association, une Centenaire en Pleine Forme. Libération. June 30 and July 1, 2001.

17 Bulletin Officiel de l’Education Nationale, HS no. 7, 31 August 2000: Classe de Première, Education Civique, Juridique et Sociale, p. 12.

18 This information was found in a report from the Policy Research Project on Civic Education Policies and Practices at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs: Tolo, K.W. (Ed.). (1999). The Civic Education of American Youth: From State Policies to School District Practices. Policy Research Project Report, number 133.

19 “The American Freshman: National Form for Fall 1999”, quoted by Commarano, J., Battistoni, R. M, & Hudson, W. E. (2000). Community Service and Citizenship: Is Service Learning Essential? Paper presented at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association.

20 See for instance: Mann, S., & Patrick J. J. (Eds.). (2000). Education for Civic Engagement in Democracy: Service Learning and other Promising Practices. Bloomington: Eric Clearinghouse. See also Barber, B., & Battistoni, R. (1993).

21 The APSA has since its creation been involved in some civic education program (Mann, 1996).

22 Bulletin Officiel du Ministère de l’Education Nationale et du Ministère de la Recherche, HS n̊6, August 31, 1999: Programmes des Enseignements de la Classe de Seconde Générale et Technologique, Education Civique, Juridique et Sociale: Principes Généraux.

23 Two of its eight goals dealt with civic education: goal 3 (Student achievement and Citizenship) and goal 6 (Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning).

24 Murray Dry considered the whole thing “carelessly written, misdirected in its abstract conceptual approach” as well as often confusing. Richard M. Merelman estimated that it was mainly “a symbolic ritual masked as a educational policy for reinforcing cultural hegemony” in the sense that the standards emphasize shared political values over political participation, see PS: Political Science and Politics. March 1996, 47–62.

25 A biennial congressionally mandated survey.

26 Bulletin Officiel de l’Education Nationale, August 26, 1999: Education Civique.

27 The bad news being, of course, that political knowledge has not improved despite the expansion of public education and the increase of communication opportunities.

28 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Highlights of U.S. Results from the International IEA Civic Education Study (CivEd). NCES, 2001–2107.

29 Les Connaissances Civiques et les Attitudes à L’Egard de la vie en Société des Collégiens. (1996). Les Dossiers d’Education et Formation, 77.

30 “It was a nationalistic ideology built out of revenge after a defeat, put forth by men who had a passion for the unity and grandeur of France and of colonial grandeur also” (Rémond, 2000).