PD Editorial: Fall behind on civics, fall behind as voters

When Alexis De Tocqueville traveled the young United States in the early 19th century, he chronicled life and civic institutions. “It cannot be doubted that, in the United States, the instruction of the people powerfully contributes to the support of a democratic republic,” he wrote in “Democracy in America.”

Tocqueville’s observation was a warning, too. If education falters, so might democracy. The most recent assessment of student’s mastery of civics and U.S. history show that the faltering might have begun.

For the first 14 years of the 21st century, eighth grade students improved in those subjects, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Those deemed “proficient” or “advanced” always remained a small slice, but the portion of students who at least understood the basics, like what the three branches of government are, kept increasing.

Then, from 2014 to 2018 there was a slight decline, followed by a steeper one in 2022. All of the progress made in the previous decade-plus was lost. Forty percent of eighth graders lacked basic mastery of U.S. history, and nearly one-third lacked basic mastery of civics, numbers not seen since the 1990s.

The pandemic and distance learning no doubt contributed to some of that decline. Few young people spent their pandemic days watching old “Schoolhouse Rock!” clips on YouTube. Researchers have found that students fell behind in all subjects. Losses were greatest among children of color and those from low-income households. But COVID doesn’t appear exclusively to blame given that declines had already begun.

Eighth graders are only four or five years away from being eligible to vote. If they don’t make up ground in high school, America risks a generation that is ill-equipped to participate fully in democracy. Worse, today’s eighth graders might disengage from civic institutions and voting entirely.

Michelle Herczog, coordinator of history and social science instruction for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, told EdSource, “The dismal NAEP findings need to be a call to action for every American school, beginning in kindergarten, to energize the teaching of U.S. history and civics in nonpartisan ways, as an educational priority.”

She’s right, and a crucial word in her statement is “nonpartisan.” Throughout history, prevailing virtues and philosophies have been part of a full education. Rarely, however, were schools the sort of partisan battlegrounds that they have become today. Whether it’s banning books, fighting over bathrooms or mandating over what must or must not be taught, partisan actors treat children not so much as pawns but as resources to indoctrinate to their side for the future.

Education should evolve and teach the complex, often morally fraught truth about the nation’s history and its civic institutions. But teachers and lawmakers should strive for partisan neutrality, allowing young people to hear arguments from diverse sides of those complex issues.

Just because many adults and most politicians have lost the ability to engage in civic debate and compromise with people from the other side, it doesn’t mean schools shouldn’t seek to develop those skills and open-mindedness in students. It starts with proficiency in civics and U.S. history.

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