Civic education is the provision of information and learning activities designed to create awareness and to teach the right attitudes, value and behaviour which are acceptable to the society in which the individual lives. In short teaching the theory and practical of the basic aspects of the rights and duties of good citizenship.
Civic education empowers individuals to be well-informed, active citizens and gives him or her the opportunity to change the world around them. It is a vital part of any democracy, and equips ordinary people with knowledge about democracy and their Constitution. In some societies, especially where corruption is endemic and where literacy is low, Civic education need to be intentional or deliberate; and lifelong, as some institutions and communities transmit values and norms without meaning to, in a manner that disempowers people. Every individual in a country should have civic education, at work in government and private institutions, state and government agencies, military, and security forces, and in the prisons. This may be in the form of in service or pre-employment training. The elderly population (literate or not) should be included via local community schemes and media programmes.
Facilitators of Civic Education.
The family.
- The family is the first agent of socialisation where a child is taught the ‘dos and don’ts’ of the society. It is at home that children should learn to be courteous and polite, to learn good social and personal habits. Children should be taught to respect everyone: friends, colleagues, elders, teachers, authorities, to be organized, punctual and to be time conscious.
- They should be taught to respect the rules and to do and accomplish daily domestic tasks.
- The foundation of honesty, not to steal and to develop integrity should be laid in the home as well as the Respect of the rights and opinion of other people.
- Parents should not shift these responsibilities to the schoolteachers and they should practice what they teach and be consistent whilst teaching these values.
- At school, teachers should teach and reinforce what the student has learned at home as a Civic subject in addition to the usual subjects
The community.
Civic education in the community is essential for national development. It helps to foster change in the society. Civic education at all levels and ages in the community allows people to have moral and civic virtues such as concern for the rights and welfare of others, social responsibility, tolerance and respect, and belief in the capacity to make a difference. The community based learning must place a deliberate emphasis on comprehensive, relational, and public education; and make learning relevant to people’s everyday lives. In summary civic education plays a very important role in the community and development of countries. It increases the understanding and relevance of politics, governance, and the civic society to daily lives of the people. It also promotes civic participation, which is one of the qualities needed for national development.
Religious Bodies.
The aim of the expression of religion is a pattern geared towards the promotion of the good of every man and of relationships and interaction with the deity and between other humans. The activities of Religious bodies have included education, establishing schools and charitable organisations. Their values, attitudes and ethics are reflected and incorporated in their curriculum and school activities. These have affected community developments and pervades private and public life. Religion should These have affected community developments and pervades private and public life. Religion will be a good agent of change and civic education. However, for many reasons there is disparity between the moral teachings of religion and what people practice.
The schools
Schools should be an effective agent of Civic Education. Emphasis on civic education in schools because First, empirical evidence shows that civic habits and values are relatively easily to influence and change while people are still young, secondly schools in many countries have an explicit mission to educate students for citizenship. Civic education should start at the primary education level and continue till the university level and taught at a level commensurate with the age of the children.
The Media.
The media, traditional print and Electronic have increasingly become an inseparable part of people’s lives. The electronic and social media have become a fast and widely used method of communication and sharing information. It is now widely used in all types of education. The role of the media in civic education is to educate and inform the public with the necessary information to act as responsible citizens. In societies with poor literacy rate, radio and television may be the way for governments and other non-government organization to deliver civic education. The media should be factual, objective non partial and present both sides on the discussion of topics. The media should be independent and operate lawfully under the freedom of expression.
Non-Government Organisations.
These have an important role through their community activities, by their education and training activities. They also encourage and facilitate discussions about topical and local issues.
Health Education.
A series of educational Activities aimed at individuals or the public at large to gain the knowledge, skills, value, and attitudes necessary to promote, maintain, improve, and restore their, or another person’s, health. It can be delivered in various settings, such as schools, workplaces, health facilities, and media. It is not just learning about disease, and prevention. It aims to improve health literacy, skills, and attitudes of individuals and communities . It can cover topics such as nutrition, physical activity, mental health, sexual health, and substance abuse. It can help reduce health disparities and improve quality of life for all. Health education helps to reduce the incidence of preventable disease, which in turn helps to reduce health care cost and boost the economy.
Health education should be and important health tool, used by governments and other organisations, in developing countries and communities that have low levels of health and community facilities.