CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

CONCEPT OF CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION

Education is a process by which an individual gains knowledge or insight to develop how attitudes and skills.  Citizenship education programmed is an admirable goal of educational system.  According to the center for civic Education’s 1994 standards documents, it has been recognized that since the founding of the American nation that education has a civic mission to prepare an informed, rational, humane and participating citizens committed to the values and principles of a nation’s constitutional democracy.  Citizenship education therefore needs to be functional to making an individual become a social and effective member of the society by passing into him the collective experience of the past and present to enable him lead a more satisfying and productive life by preparing him to handle new experiences successfully.  This is all about the entire process and method of acquiring knowledge which helps in molding attitudes and behavior pattern which are for the good of the individual and the society at large.

Virtually every academic write - ups on the subject of citizenship education agrees that it is essential for preserving national democratic way of life.  Ironically, they often remind us that our nation’s founders saw the preparation of competent citizens as the main purpose of schooling.  Many contemporary people too, believe that “education’s chief purpose is to equip students with the knowledge, skills and values needed to function efficiently as citizens of a democratic society”.  (Onoja, 2006).  The development of citizenship education is a significant aim of schooling system.  This implies that other educational goals are as important as that of citizenship development.

Several educationists have defined civic education in different ways.  For instance, Butts (993) defines civic or citizenship education as “explicit and containing study of the basic concepts and values underlying our democratic political community and constitutional order.

According to Houston (1999), civic education consists of learning activities, curriculum and or educational programmers at any educational level, concerned with, rights and responsibilities of citizens with the purpose to promoting knowledge, skills and attitudes conducive to effective participation in civic life.

Specifically, citizenship education refers to the educative means in a sovereign state whereby its citizens and individuals become socially and physically aware, socially integrated into the social system, acquire skills and competences, become socially sensitive and actively participate in their social responsibilities for maximum productivity and social development.

The real test of any citizenship education programmed is what participants do in their life-time office of citizenry. What an individual citizen learns and practices in the society of his that contributes to the growth, development and sustenance of that society is the real test of behavior of citizenship.

This implies that citizenship education equipment the individual with pertinent knowledge and skills that will enable them contribute meaningfully to the development and progress of an ever changing and dynamic world.

CITIZENSHIP

Some educators conceptualized citizenship as the act of inculcating in individuals certain cultural behaviors, knowledge and values or indoctrination in things considerable as a society’s basic values.

Citizenship is the act of living in a community ideal for an individual to know his worth and be able to interact and socialize.

Man is a political animal.  There is the need for ruler ship and follower ship, governance, rules and regulations in order to reduce conflict thereby assigning roles.  In our society, there should be orderliness which is only obtainable by rules and regulations.  In a country where conflict is at a low rate, it is very easy to assign roles and make room for harmony and peaceful co-existence.

THE ROLE OF CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION

A number of factors, either single – handedly or in cooperation with others, contributes to the accomplishment of effective citizenship i.e. as it influences the teaching of value in the schools and thereafter in the educational reformation.

I. Identification of national values

II. Casting retrospective look at our traditional values

III. Teaching values and ethics in accordance with the aims of our national educational policy.

One of the most important areas of citizenship education is the ability of a nation to identify her own values.  It is only when a nation has identified her values that it can then be possible to have worthy ideals that will gear all efforts in the direction of accomplishing them in practice.  National values can be said to be socially or culturally acquired perception of what is desirable or undesirable.  Nigerian values could be classified into family values, social values, economic values and moral values.  Some of the most cherished social values under this classification of values are:

1. Purchase and display of flashy cars, that is, possession of an array of electronic powered and poach cars on one’s fleet.

2. Acquisition of ruler ship tittles – chieftaincy and honorary degrees.

3. Frequent overseas trip for self and family

4. Wearing of embroidered, gorgeous outfits

5. Expensive education for children preferably abroad or in an exclusively selected few within Nigeria.

The major avenues for achieving success which many Nigerians acknowledge are through education, ten-presenting and its associated bribery, corruption and fraud.  These bring one to a conclusion that Nigerian value is simply materialistic.

Secondly, in order for Nigerians to attain a desirable value and be effective citizens, we have to deeply consider our traditional values and attitudes which produce responsible and acceptable citizenry in the past and emulate the ways these values were taught.

Lastly, in teaching the values, an analysis of the traditional Nigerian values and the identification and selection of values can be taught in accordance with the aims of National Policy on Education. For instance, the “inculcation of the right values and attitudes for the survival of the individual and the Nigerian society”

Effective citizenship education as it influences the teaching of values in the school call for:

• Commitment and dedication on the part of the teachers, their clients, the parents and all educational stake holders.

• Selection of appropriate and relevant teaching contents and experiences that are value oriented.

• Exposing students to arrays of many experiences that are value clarifying and problem solving oriented.

• Selection of appropriate teaching methods.

• Focusing the teaching of values on value clarifying and not value internalizing.

However, it is worthy of note that the school alone cannot effectively teach citizenship education to the actualization of the goals.  Other social agencies or institution such as the family, religious institutions, the mass-media, peer groups, political forum, government, professional bodies, voluntary organizations and students, voluntary organizations should also be involved in the promotion of citizenship education.