Page 61 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
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m. banjac ■ knowledge on political participation among basic school pupils
good, but on the other hand the knowledge about national electoral sys-
tems is lower than expected. The analysis revealed that a large majority
of pupils cannot appropriately explain the National Assembly Elections
threshold, which indicates that they are not able to comprehend the con-
sequences of attending the elections and casting a vote. While one can-
not expect that pupils of this age will know all the details about the Slove-
nian electoral system, they should be familiar with its key characteristics
such as threshold and be able to explain it on a concrete case (such as giv-
en in the question).
Similarly, there was low knowledge among the pupils who took the
test regarding the possible political participation means available to citi-
zens at the local level, e.g. at the municipality level (Q6). Be it on the na-
tional or local level, pupils should have more knowledge on the available
conventional means of participation, but that in itself is not enough. They
must comprehend and be able to critically reflect on the consequences of
their political action. If they do not have the ability to do that, then their
involvement does not lead to informed actions. It is not enough for them
to attend the elections, they must also make informed choices at elections,
including with regard to knowledge of the basic procedures within the
electoral system and clearly also regarding political party programs.
In conclusion, it seems reasonable to once again underline the fact
that citizenship education within the formal system is not obsolete. It can
and should make a contribution to the political literacy of pupils and pre-
pare them to understand the benefits of their political engagement. Cit-
izenship education in the formal schooling system, in Slovenia as well as
everywhere else, is of course not a magic wand that would immediate-
ly solve issues pertinent to youth. But with the continuous fostering and
support of learning process that emphasises real-life situations in which
young people democratically utilize various political participatory tools,
citizenship education can contribute to empowering pupils for their fu-
ture engagements.
Literature
Banjac, M. (2016) Demokratično državljanstvo med mladimi: znanje sloven-
skih osnovnošolcev s področja demokracije in človekovih pravic. Raz-
prave in gradivo: revija za narodnostna vprašanja 76, 67–86.
Banjac, M., and Pušnik, T. Citizenship Education in Slovenia. http://www.
bpb.de/veranstaltungen/netzwerke/nece/206029/citizenship-educa-
tion-in-slovenia?p=all (22.9.2019).
Barnes, S. H., and Kaase, M. (1979) Political action: mass participation in five
Western democracies. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications.
59
good, but on the other hand the knowledge about national electoral sys-
tems is lower than expected. The analysis revealed that a large majority
of pupils cannot appropriately explain the National Assembly Elections
threshold, which indicates that they are not able to comprehend the con-
sequences of attending the elections and casting a vote. While one can-
not expect that pupils of this age will know all the details about the Slove-
nian electoral system, they should be familiar with its key characteristics
such as threshold and be able to explain it on a concrete case (such as giv-
en in the question).
Similarly, there was low knowledge among the pupils who took the
test regarding the possible political participation means available to citi-
zens at the local level, e.g. at the municipality level (Q6). Be it on the na-
tional or local level, pupils should have more knowledge on the available
conventional means of participation, but that in itself is not enough. They
must comprehend and be able to critically reflect on the consequences of
their political action. If they do not have the ability to do that, then their
involvement does not lead to informed actions. It is not enough for them
to attend the elections, they must also make informed choices at elections,
including with regard to knowledge of the basic procedures within the
electoral system and clearly also regarding political party programs.
In conclusion, it seems reasonable to once again underline the fact
that citizenship education within the formal system is not obsolete. It can
and should make a contribution to the political literacy of pupils and pre-
pare them to understand the benefits of their political engagement. Cit-
izenship education in the formal schooling system, in Slovenia as well as
everywhere else, is of course not a magic wand that would immediate-
ly solve issues pertinent to youth. But with the continuous fostering and
support of learning process that emphasises real-life situations in which
young people democratically utilize various political participatory tools,
citizenship education can contribute to empowering pupils for their fu-
ture engagements.
Literature
Banjac, M. (2016) Demokratično državljanstvo med mladimi: znanje sloven-
skih osnovnošolcev s področja demokracije in človekovih pravic. Raz-
prave in gradivo: revija za narodnostna vprašanja 76, 67–86.
Banjac, M., and Pušnik, T. Citizenship Education in Slovenia. http://www.
bpb.de/veranstaltungen/netzwerke/nece/206029/citizenship-educa-
tion-in-slovenia?p=all (22.9.2019).
Barnes, S. H., and Kaase, M. (1979) Political action: mass participation in five
Western democracies. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications.
59
