Politics in the classroom

In The Outsiders’ Manifesto, the last in our series of MP exit interview reports, we highlighted a number of recommendations made by former MPs on how to repair the growing disconnect between citizens and their elected representatives. Among them was the need to improve civics education in schools so that young Canadians could become better informed and - as the argument goes - more engaged in the country’s political process.

"If people have a shared sense of the country and a common reference point, then, when it comes to politics, they'd have something to build on when it comes time to think issues through and get engaged," said one MP quoted in The Outsiders’ Manifesto. "There is very little taught about our Canadian democratic system. So often, our kids haven't got a good clue as to what is going on, what an election means, or how people get elected," said another.

While granting civics a greater role in elementary and high school curricula is an important step toward producing a more informed citizenry, many suggest it’s how the subject is taught that will have the biggest impact on long-term civic engagement and political participation.

Last week, Samara participated in the Civics Education Network’s Youth Matters symposium, which brought together teachers, government and different civics-focused NGOs for a chance to exchange information and resources on civics education.

The day-long event underscored the significant demand of educators for compelling and effective civics learning materials – a cause for concern given that Ontario is one of the Canadian provinces where Civics is a mandatory subject.

“Textbooks are ill-structured to inspire engagement,” said one veteran civics instructor who shared with the group his personal compilation of learning tools and worksheets, most of which incorporated interactive approaches to the Grade 10 course material.

According to an article in yesterday’s Vancouver Sun, part of the problem with making civics “stick” lies in the fact that course materials  have traditionally focused on the procedural and legislative aspects of politics rather than issues that ignite students’ concerns and convictions.

Drawing on a 2010 study conducted by Joel Westheimer at the University of Ottawa, the Sun’s Jordan Press writes: “There’s a growing body of research that suggests the way to increase voter turnout and get young people engaged in politics is to make the classroom more politically charged.” And this, he says, is “the exact thing that schools don’t do,”

Press cites efforts by both government agencies and non-governmental organizations to revitalize civics education in Canada, including those of the Historica-Dominion Institute (HDI), Samara’s main partner in its initiative to develop civics course material on MPs. Together with HDI, Samara adapted the MP Exit Interview project into an educational booklet to be used to teach students about Canadian democracy.

Called “Representing You: Members of Parliament On the Job,” the booklet provides a narrative through which students can learn what it takes to be an MP, and what the role entails. Produced in French and English, “Representing You” is accompanied by a worksheet that asks students to write their own job description for an MP.

With recent low voter turnout rates prompting increased discussion about  what changes we ought to make to improve to Canadians politics, it may be a good time to heed the advice of both our MPs and teachers, and start focusing on how to better impart political understanding to Canadian youth. If you are a teacher, we encourage you to download our booklet and share it with your class. Please let us know what you think;  we’re always looking for ways to strengthen our work.