Page 48 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
P. 48
šolsko polje, letnik xxx, številka 5–6
As we can see, participation is clearly and generally acknowledged. How-
ever, the White paper additionally elaborates on the theme of political
participation at the point where the explanation of the importance of cit-
izenship education, ethics and religion within education is presented. The
White paper explicitly deals with the problem of negative perception of
politics and everything that is concerned with the political:
[…] negative perceptions of the political field emerge in the public and
the negative labeling of “politics” and political engagement in general,
stemming from the low level of culture of political dialogue (Krek and
Metljak, 2011, p. 42).
One of the objectives of citizenship education within formal education
must, according to the White paper, address and resolve this pertinent
issue:
In schools, this could gradually be transcended and the perception of the
idea of the political as an arrangement of common affairs, involving the
sharing of knowledge (knowledge, norms and values) that citizens, as cit-
izens of Slovenia and as part of the wider world, must have (Krek and
Metljak, 2011, p. 42).
Now, the White paper obviously recognizes the importance of par-
ticipation and at the same time offers the definition of the political and
politics that goes beyond prevailing perceptions and hegemonic depoliti-
cized discourse. Interestingly enough, it is precisely citizenship education
that has an explicit role in changing the negative perception of politics
into a more positive one, one that young people will understand as various
ways of involvement and active participation in public matters affecting
their lives. So the question that follows is how can citizenship education,
as a separate school subject, address and conceptualise political participa-
tion and in what form should it be offered as a theme to pupils.
Citizenship education was introduced as a compulsory subject un-
der the then newly adopted 1996 legislation, which laid down a formal
framework for all levels of pre-university education, while making citi-
zenship education and ethics, as it was then called, a compulsory subject
in the level of primary education. The new formal legal framework also
began the process of (re)adaptation of curricula, including citizenship
education. During this period, from 1996 to the beginning of 1999, the
Subject Curriculum Commission for Citizenship Education and Ethics
prepared the first syllabus for this subject (Banjac, 2016, p. 72).
In the current syllabus, finally adopted in 2011, political participa-
tion is only indistinctly mentioned in the document’s introductory sec-
46
As we can see, participation is clearly and generally acknowledged. How-
ever, the White paper additionally elaborates on the theme of political
participation at the point where the explanation of the importance of cit-
izenship education, ethics and religion within education is presented. The
White paper explicitly deals with the problem of negative perception of
politics and everything that is concerned with the political:
[…] negative perceptions of the political field emerge in the public and
the negative labeling of “politics” and political engagement in general,
stemming from the low level of culture of political dialogue (Krek and
Metljak, 2011, p. 42).
One of the objectives of citizenship education within formal education
must, according to the White paper, address and resolve this pertinent
issue:
In schools, this could gradually be transcended and the perception of the
idea of the political as an arrangement of common affairs, involving the
sharing of knowledge (knowledge, norms and values) that citizens, as cit-
izens of Slovenia and as part of the wider world, must have (Krek and
Metljak, 2011, p. 42).
Now, the White paper obviously recognizes the importance of par-
ticipation and at the same time offers the definition of the political and
politics that goes beyond prevailing perceptions and hegemonic depoliti-
cized discourse. Interestingly enough, it is precisely citizenship education
that has an explicit role in changing the negative perception of politics
into a more positive one, one that young people will understand as various
ways of involvement and active participation in public matters affecting
their lives. So the question that follows is how can citizenship education,
as a separate school subject, address and conceptualise political participa-
tion and in what form should it be offered as a theme to pupils.
Citizenship education was introduced as a compulsory subject un-
der the then newly adopted 1996 legislation, which laid down a formal
framework for all levels of pre-university education, while making citi-
zenship education and ethics, as it was then called, a compulsory subject
in the level of primary education. The new formal legal framework also
began the process of (re)adaptation of curricula, including citizenship
education. During this period, from 1996 to the beginning of 1999, the
Subject Curriculum Commission for Citizenship Education and Ethics
prepared the first syllabus for this subject (Banjac, 2016, p. 72).
In the current syllabus, finally adopted in 2011, political participa-
tion is only indistinctly mentioned in the document’s introductory sec-
46
