Monday, August 15, 2022

What we could teach that matters

ahjhomage

The school year is starting.  If we were teachers, we'd give an assignment: What, if anything, would you change about the government?

Maybe someone wants a lower drinking age.  Maybe they want a faster speed limit.  Abortion rights, what have you.

They identify the one thing.  

Then they have to research how it could be changed -- such as a law being passed (or an ordinance if the student went local) or a judicial verdict or a constitutional amendment or referendum.  

Then the student could figure out how that could be brought about.  Or even if it couldn't.

In the process, they'd learn something about, well, the process.  They'd be better geared towards knowing what is possible and at least one of doing it (plus they will have learned how to research their own answers).  

If we want a better world, one that includes 'civic duty,' we need to bring students into the process early on.