Children as citizens Blog

TEACHING POLITICAL LITERACY: EMPOWERING YOUNG MINDS FOR DEMOCRATIC ENGAGEMENT Name of Student Course Name of Professor University Date Teaching Political Literacy: Empowering Young Minds for Democratic Engagement Introduction The political sky nowadays is more vivid and complex than before, given that we live in a centrifuge world of speedy global connection. Nevertheless, politics is a critical and major aspect of society formation, and the young generation has challenges in gaining the required knowledge and interest in politics. Political ignorance creates serious hindrances for societies to work according to democratic rules and makes it impossible to ensure an active role in the democratic governance of the people. Consequently, the formal incorporation of political education programs will be the requirement to educate and arm citizens with rich political knowledge to compete fairly in the complexity of contemporary politics. Young People Today Do not Know Enough about Politics  Discussions related to the statement, “Young people today do not know enough about our politics,” are central. Although the prevalence of advanced technologies and the abundance of information have led to a decline in people’s attention spans, conventional politics continues to be a negative aspect for young people, as they tend to participate in politics superficially. By “justifying patriotism,” Brighouse (2006) stresses the importance of creating a sense of classes’ usefulness and support of political processes in youth. According to Brighouse, a citizen should primarily base their act of patriotism on a comprehensive and well-informed awareness of the political and ideological systems and history of the nation. Political literacy, which involves memorizing the memories and facts of political figures, is a deep and complete method that possesses the power to expand knowledge, and this method encompasses critical thinking on political processes and systems. In conjunction with the research conducted by Osler and Starkey (2001), which examines citizenship teaching, it is evident that the latter approach must extend beyond national boundaries to encompass every study area. They stand for a curriculum that emphasizes tolerance for diversity, the ability to think critically, and a realization of the mutuality of the world’s citizens. While strategies such as inclusiveness could be engaged to develop critical thinking on the political issues and the country’s challenges, education on citizenship allows the students to perceive a broader picture (Lo, 2017). Pluralism helps teach students to respect others’ views, resulting in healthy collaboration with diverse inputs. In addition, teaching students to think and analyze political coincidence critically also enables them to evaluate and analyze the consequences of specific policies and actions (Mcmanus and Taylor, 2009). The world is transnationally interconnected; hence, acknowledging how the nation-state position is not isolated but in a wider context of global interdependence is important in developing informed and committed citizens. Students will realize that the link between local and global politics has a profound impact. Hence, they will acquire a simple understanding of the complexities of present societal processes. Image 1: Teaching Political Literacy -228600000Source: (Moorse, 2022). https://www.teachingcitizenship.org.uk/why-political-literacy-is-at-the-heart-of-citizenship-education/ Apple’s (1993) critique of the politics of official knowledge helps to see the other side of educational systems and curricula – the biases underlying the whole system. According to Apple, education is the great medium from which students draw success to develop critical consciousness and examine standing power structures. Here, educators are forced into a dilemma if they try to toe the mark given by the board and not compromise their duty to nourish young minds to a favorable direction of thought. However, they must refrain from supporting partisan views solely for the sake of compliance with the regulations. However, they must also have a moral obligation to guide students in a way that invites them to voice their honest and inclusive opinions that are brought up and explored (Mcmanus and Taylor, 2009). Teaching kids how to question the facts and providing them with necessary critical thinking fundamentals fosters student development toward independence and cognition of their political sphere (Alminde and Warming, 2019). In part, through the navigation of legal limitations, educators can surely act to promote political understanding and active participation of youth for a better community. Video 1: Political Literacy Day, 2021 Source: (Shout Out UK, 2021). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdfB1UL2G58 UK’s Prevent Program has been criticized for bringing about more Islamophobia and alienating Muslim kids by imposing this curriculum. Society perceives the program as part of a political idea encouraging radicalism. In their article, Coppock and McGovern (2014) reveal the magnitude to which these counterterrorism practices can have counterproductive effects, esp...