Situation by country
Germany
In Germany there is a federal education system. Each of the 16 federal states has its own education policy, but they are coordinated in a conference of the education ministers of the federal states. That is why civic education has different names. Most of the 16 states have a form of social studies ("Sachunterricht") in combination with basic natural sciences between 1st and 4th grade. From 5th to 10th grade there is civic education between 1 and 2 hours a week, for the majority 2 hours. Also between 11th and 13th grade, close to high school. There are also in-depth courses here. Civic education has an anti-fascist tradition and an education for democracy, a result of the history of Germany.[8].
Argentina
It is currently taught in some schools, private and public. Topics such as Human Rights and the National Constitution are discussed.
Chili
New research records the importance of civic education in this country, particularly in school education in the 9th century. Currently, the citizen education axis is included in the Chilean national curriculum, included within the subsector of history, geography and social sciences for levels from 1st to 8th grade.
It was also added to the third and fourth year curricula[10].
Ecuador
It is present in almost the entire student cycle, from primary school onwards. It is included as part of Social Studies, in high school it is considered a basic or fundamental subject, in the 3rd year of high school it is presented under the name "education for democracy or civics" and in the university it is also present depending on the career to be followed.
El Salvador
In El Salvador By 2017, moral and civic will be taught again, after years of absence in schools and private centers. A new law has been put into effect, and all the teachers who will teach it will be appropriately prepared.
France
In France, the subject Civic, Legal and Social Education was introduced in 2001 for students in the last years of secondary education (lycée "Lycée (teaching)"). For students in lower secondary school, civic education is integrated into the history and geography curriculum.
Since the beginning of the school year in September 2015, primary and secondary school students in France have in their timetable “moral and civic education” (in French enseignement moral et civique, EMC): this discipline replaces “civic instruction” in primary school, “civic education” in school for 11 to 15 years old and “civic, legal and social education” (ECJS) in high school (last three years). If the EMC programs largely follow those of the previous disciplines, the novelty is that the EMC now benefits, from the CP to the last year, of its own schedules dedicated exclusively to this subject, at a rate of at least one hour per week in primary school. and one hour biweekly in secondary school, that is, 300 hours of schooling.[13].
In 2012, Minister of National Education Vincent Peillon proposed teaching “secular morality”, hence his commissioning of the report For a secular teaching of morality (Pour un enseignement laïque de la morale) presented in April 2013.[14] The name “moral and civic teaching” was given by Minister Vincent Peillon (in reference to the secular morality of his distant predecessor Ferdinand Buisson) in his law of the July 8, 2013 on orientation and programming for the refoundation of the School of the Republic (article 4, article 41)[15] whose application was scheduled for the beginning of the school year in September 2015.[16] Just after the attacks in France in January 2015, the new minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem announced on January 22 a “great mobilization of the School of the values of the Republic", including in particular the "strengthening of the transmission of the values of the Republic", a system where moral and civic education stands out.[17].
This teaching is taught in primary school by the teacher assigned to the class, in secondary school by a history-geography teacher and in secondary school by one of the teachers (this is usually the history-geography teacher, but it can be from another subject). If in middle school it can be a master class (internal regulations, rights and duties, institutions, etc.), in secondary school the sessions are mainly dedicated to debates (on current events, a moral issue or class life), the use of the press, an educational project (outing, charity aid, etc.), documentary research and presentations. Moral and civic education is evaluated within the national high school diploma tests and is part of the continuous evaluation integrated into the high school (starting with the 2019-2020 school year).
The ECJS/EMC is a highly criticized subject: it is almost the only compulsory subject in the curriculum for which there is no specific teaching staff (it is generally taught by history and geography teachers, without specific initial training) and it was not part of the subjects assessed in high school for a long time, which gave little motivation to students or teachers to invest in it. The philosopher of education Jean-Claude Michéa thus sees, instead of "effective civic instruction", "any kind of education, a conceptual mixture that is easy to disseminate and that, ultimately, will only redouble the dominant discourse of the media and the world of entertainment, in the form of discussion forums (designed, of course, following the model of television talk shows)."[18]
Guatemala
According to the International Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), carried out by the International Association for Educational Evaluation (IEA), Guatemala ranks 33rd in Citizen preparation.
Mexico
It receives different names: civics, civic education, citizenship education, citizen training and, in secondary education (sometimes high school), civic and ethical training.
sfVI. Promote and disseminate civic activities in the State;
VII. Take care of the proper dissemination of the National Anthem, as well as the biographies and gazettes that serve as an informative medium;
VIII. Promote civic exchange inside and outside the State; and
IX. The others indicated in the Agreement that creates it, published in the Official Newspaper of the Federation number 74 dated August 30, 1991, as well as those conferred by hierarchical superiors.
Currently, in Mexico many social conflicts are unleashed against its governors, mainly due to negative propaganda from leaders or dissatisfaction from society itself. Many times, this dissatisfaction is not supported, this is because the population is not educated on the issues of our country and the roles that citizens and rulers carry; this is known as civic education. The National Electoral Institute "National Electoral Institute (Mexico)") has developed a proposal to promote knowledge of these issues in Mexico, this initiative is called National Civic Culture Strategy 2017-2023 (ENCCÍVICA).
The National Civic Culture Strategy (ENCCÍVICA) is a proposal from the National Electoral Institute "Instituto Nacional Electoral (Mexico)") to promote civic and political culture, so that society becomes involved in public decisions. The strategy focuses on developing a citizenry that exercises and is responsible for its rights, that participates in public discussion and that demands the effectiveness of the rule of law.[19].
The strategy has, in turn, three pillars:
Panama
It is taught in schools and colleges to help young people become better citizens. It is also addressed in some universities.
Peru
In national schools,[20] it is generally taught as an independent course and in private schools it is usually related to the Area of Social and Civil Sciences. Broadly speaking, it can be said that it transmits the norms of social coexistence. In all schools they are taught the history and fundamental values of their Peruvian homeland. The course was called Civic Education in general form; However, with the new national curriculum in secondary school it is taught under the name of Personal Development, Citizenship and Civics.[21].
Uruguay
According to the reformulation of programs carried out in 2011, the subject receives different names according to the course in which it is taught, in the third year of the Basic Cycle of Secondary Education it is called Social and Civic Education,[22] in the fifth year of Baccalaureate Citizen Education[23] and in the sixth year Law and Political Science.[24] The programs of the three recently named courses have topics in common (among many different ones) such as Powers of the State and Human Rights, which are addressed with different depth in the various instances of the educational process of Secondary Education. In the sixth year of Secondary School, this subject is included in the curriculum of Plan 76 of the Social-Humanistic orientations and the Biological baccalaureate in its Medicine option.[25].
Venezuela
It is taught in private schools and public high schools during the first year of high school (or seventh grade) under the name Family and Citizen Training. Values are learned in addition to the social structuring of the nation, such as the National Public Power "National Public Power (Venezuela)").
Honduras
It is called Moral and civic education. It is taught in most schools, from primary to secondary school. The reinforcement and expansion of civic education learning occurs in the same way in universities, depending on the university degree chosen.