Civics Education

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the lack of civics education in the United States. Once upon a time long ago, every high school student was required to take a class in civics in order to graduate. Obviously, school boards, educators, and parents understood the need for students to know the rights, duties, and responsibilities of being a citizen of the United States as well as how the government works. For whatever reason, the civics requirement was dropped from the curriculum some years ago.

            While every state still requires some civics studies, some states now require high school graduates to pass a civics test before receiving a diploma. The first states to make this a requirement were Arizona and North Dakota. That was in January 2015, and by June 2016, eleven other states had joined them. These states are mostly conservative and are Alaska, Idaho, Utah, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Virginia, and South Carolina. Supposedly, two more states have joined them, but I could not discover which ones.

            The latest state to consider the requirement is Texas. The Texas House of Representatives is considering a bill to make it mandatory for students to pass the same civics test that immigrants are required to take before they are granted citizenship.

            We need educated citizens in order to retain our freedoms. The fact that so many people living in the United States want sharia law, socialism, or even communism shows that we need to teach the rising general what it means to be a citizen of the United States. I support the civics requirement to pass a civics test!