As the upcoming presidential election approaches and those students over 18 become eligible voters, understanding the basics surrounding civic literacy is vital. According to Yale University, Civic Literacy is the knowledge of how actively someone participates and tries to initiate change in a community. Civic literacy often gets overlooked, as many think it does not need to be taught at a young age, but this observation could not be further from the truth. Although it is the foundation of the basics surrounding how a democratic society works, it continues to be ignored as a necessity in high school education.
As an 18-year-old, I understand the importance of voting, as it impacts the policies made and the people put into office. As more people reach the legal age to vote, our generation’s voice grows larger, making it imperative to take advantage of our right to vote.
To make positive change, people must voice their opinions. Voting allows everyone to have a role in what changes and what stays in regard to public policy and governance. According to the United States Election Project, voters from ages 18-29 have the lowest voter turnout compared to other ages, amplifying the importance of having civic literacy in high school.
To be an informed and active citizen you must understand the basics of the documents and events that shaped the United States of America. To accomplish this understanding, civic literacy should be a requirement since including it in the high school curriculum would allow students to further develop their understanding of civic participation and realize the importance of actively participating in society.
We tend to take the power that comes with voting for granted. Voting is a civil right that allows people to have a say in who represents them at a national and state level, and we as a community have the power to make an immense impact on the changes being made to the government; why not take advantage of it? Voting only takes place a select amount of times, so why not take an hour out of your day to show up and vote for what you believe in?
Civic literacy promotes participation in a community, which indirectly strengthens citizens’ communication and collaboration skills. Including civic literacy in high school curriculums allows for these essential skills to continue to heighten, directly affecting students for the better. Communication skills do not come easy to many people — making civic literacy a crucial aspect of education. In addition, communication and collaboration are skills used throughout your entire life: whether that be in work, college or social settings. Teaching civic literacy to high school students will engrave these necessary skills in their brains forever.
Understanding your rights, freedoms and how you can exercise these rights directly affects the changes you can make in policies, legislation and the people in office. According to Closeup, only 22% of students were at or above a “proficient” level for civics comprehension, and 69% of students were at or above a “basic” level, leaving 31% of students below a basic level of understanding civic literacy. What makes this issue more prevalent lies in how the statistics previously stated are almost identical to those in 1998, representing little change in the growth of civic literacy in students.
The access to civic education only encompasses half of the problem: the lack of quality within these civic literacy courses takes the forefront of this issue. A majority of the content taught in these classes surrounds memorization and textbook learning techniques yet excludes actual hard-hitting political topics. Schools tend to avoid discussing political topics due to the fear of a polarized classroom, but sometimes these conversations are necessary for students to better understand why political participation holds importance. According to the Florida Bar, in 2022 only 37% of Florida students in grades six through 12 passed the civic literacy exam, further solidifying the lack of quality within civic literacy courses in the education system.
