Page 60 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
P. 60
šolsko polje, letnik xxx, številka 5–6
izenship, indeed (still) the relevant framework for raising young people’s
knowledge and skills about political participation. However, as we have
discussed, citizenship education in the education system and concretely
in schools must grasp and deliver political participation not as a docile
and fixed category but as an enabling activity through which young peo-
ple’s subjectivities are shaped and through which pupils are gaining capac-
ities to critically approach and use formal democratic participation means
while also seeking unconventional political options to make their voice
heard.
The White Paper on education in the Republic of Slovenia address-
es, albeit understandably very broadly, the above-mentioned challenge. As
we have shown, it does this by highlighting the problematic widespread
negative portrayal and labelling of politics while also explicitly recognis-
ing the need to change this perception by enabling young people with po-
litical participation with the awareness that their involvement in political
matters means contributing to the arrangement of common affairs. The
currently valid Patriotic and Citizenship Culture and Ethics subject cur-
riculum seems to correspond to the vision and aim in the White Paper.
The curriculum is, as we have shown, quite rich with the themes that are
directly related with political participation. It is well structured in terms
of upgrading the level of knowledge about political participation that pu-
pils receive from Year 7 to Year 8. However, as is possible to see, the cur-
riculum itself could contain more of an emphasis on the various forms of
political participation, including unconventional forms, so pupils would
recognise and be acquainted with the diverse possibilities of political par-
ticipation available in today’s various socio-political contexts.
The NAK 2019 on the Patriotic and Citizenship Culture and Eth-
ics subject tested also pupils’ knowledge about political participation. The
evidence from the analysis of the questions that addressed political partic-
ipation from a variety of angles shows that the youth who took the test at
the end of compulsory education (lower secondary education) are able to
recognize basic rules and norms behind democratic procedures of conven-
tional forms of participation. They are also competent in conceiving dem-
ocratic decision-making in an environment familiar to them. The latter
is especially important because participation does not occur only in in-
stitutionalised formal settings but most frequently precisely in everyday
situations that have the biggest impact on their lives. Having said that,
engaged attitudes towards conventional forms of political participation
should also be taught and supported within citizenship education. With
regard to this, as the analysis showed, the knowledge of pupils who took
the test about political parties (concretely, about establishing them) is very
58
izenship, indeed (still) the relevant framework for raising young people’s
knowledge and skills about political participation. However, as we have
discussed, citizenship education in the education system and concretely
in schools must grasp and deliver political participation not as a docile
and fixed category but as an enabling activity through which young peo-
ple’s subjectivities are shaped and through which pupils are gaining capac-
ities to critically approach and use formal democratic participation means
while also seeking unconventional political options to make their voice
heard.
The White Paper on education in the Republic of Slovenia address-
es, albeit understandably very broadly, the above-mentioned challenge. As
we have shown, it does this by highlighting the problematic widespread
negative portrayal and labelling of politics while also explicitly recognis-
ing the need to change this perception by enabling young people with po-
litical participation with the awareness that their involvement in political
matters means contributing to the arrangement of common affairs. The
currently valid Patriotic and Citizenship Culture and Ethics subject cur-
riculum seems to correspond to the vision and aim in the White Paper.
The curriculum is, as we have shown, quite rich with the themes that are
directly related with political participation. It is well structured in terms
of upgrading the level of knowledge about political participation that pu-
pils receive from Year 7 to Year 8. However, as is possible to see, the cur-
riculum itself could contain more of an emphasis on the various forms of
political participation, including unconventional forms, so pupils would
recognise and be acquainted with the diverse possibilities of political par-
ticipation available in today’s various socio-political contexts.
The NAK 2019 on the Patriotic and Citizenship Culture and Eth-
ics subject tested also pupils’ knowledge about political participation. The
evidence from the analysis of the questions that addressed political partic-
ipation from a variety of angles shows that the youth who took the test at
the end of compulsory education (lower secondary education) are able to
recognize basic rules and norms behind democratic procedures of conven-
tional forms of participation. They are also competent in conceiving dem-
ocratic decision-making in an environment familiar to them. The latter
is especially important because participation does not occur only in in-
stitutionalised formal settings but most frequently precisely in everyday
situations that have the biggest impact on their lives. Having said that,
engaged attitudes towards conventional forms of political participation
should also be taught and supported within citizenship education. With
regard to this, as the analysis showed, the knowledge of pupils who took
the test about political parties (concretely, about establishing them) is very
58
