The Zambian educational curriculum has very well stipulated goals aimed at transmitting values in the learner that would promote total development.  The goals are not only meant for intellectual development, but extend further to include civic development.

Though the Zambian national curriculum includes components of civic development, the resulting effects do not indicate any growth in the learner as regards civic responsibilities.

In principle, there has been no deliberate move to make civic education taught as a subject.  It has been assumed, especially in high schools, that civic values are instilled in the learner indirectly through the approved subjects in the curriculum.

This article discusses how the lack of civic education in high schools has affected the quality of school leavers and how its introduction, as a subject, can redress the sad state of our school leavers.

AIMS AND GOALS OF EDUCATION

In the document “Educating Our Future – National Policy On Education” (1996), the aims of Zambian education are stated as:

“To promote the full and well-rounded development of the physical, intellectual, social, affective, moral and spiritual qualities of all students so that each can develop into a complete person, for his or her own personal fulfilment and good of society” (p.29).

Further still, a fully educated Zambian has to have the following worthwhile values:

·         Animated by a personally held set of civic, moral and spiritual values;

·         Developing an analytical, innovative, creative and constructive mind;

·         Appreciating the relationship between the world of science and the quality of life;

·         Expressing one’s own ideas freely and exercising tolerance for other people’s views;

·         Cherishing and safeguarding individual liberties and human rights;

·         Appreciating Zambia’s traditions and upholding national pride, peace and freedom;

·         Participating in the preservation of the ecosystems;

·         Maintaining discipline and hard work for the sake of personal and national development (p.5).

As we can see, the aims and goals of Zambian education focus on the importance of having a person who is concerned about issues that affect one’s society as a whole.  Certainly, it would be unfair to argue that the Zambian national curriculum, especially for high schools, does not pay attention to issues related to civic education.  Many subjects taught in high schools attempt indirectly to address civic issues.

For instance, in the literature in English course, most of the books on the syllabus, (e.g., “Cry The Beloved Country” by Allan Paton),  deal with issues that concern civic education.  It is a disheartening to observe, however, that most school leavers from high schools do not see what contribution they can make in society as regards civic issues affecting our country.

The purpose of education, in any country, is to form worthwhile citizens.  The purpose of Zambia’s education system, as spelt out by its aims and goals, is to make the learner, better still our school leavers, develop a philosophy of life that enables them to contribute to the nation to the best of their abilities.

Socrates is often remembered by the famous saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living”.  This adage should not be taken in isolation, but within the context in which it was uttered; it says much about the necessity for individuals and societies, in this case school leavers, to have a philosophical attitude towards life.  Otherwise, to live life aimlessly evades the essence of life.

However, the mere negation of civic education in the Zambian curriculum as a subject has made it possible for school leavers to live a life which sometimes seems aimless.  It is for this reason, one can argue, that the introduction of civic education as a subject would help in redressing such a situation.

THE CORE OF CIVIC EDUCATION

It is imperative, at this point, to unpack what is contained in the concept of civic education.  According to my understanding,  when we talk of civic education we are actually dealing with creating an awareness among the citizens about their rights and duties regarding their common heritage as a people, as a nation.  This civic awareness comes about when citizens understand and utilize, above all, the constitution of the state.  It comes about when people know their rights and demand what is due to them.

We can say that citizens are civically responsible if they are able to challenge and question those who govern them on matters of policy and governance.  This responsibility takes root when people have access to information, especially information concerning policies on governance issues.

Furthermore, civic education embraces a philosophy of life that calls for social concern for every citizen.  Those values that are necessary for one to be aware and be involved in the well being of   society    are    supposed  to be promoted through civic education.  Civic education is meant to make a person become more conscious of his or her dignity and responsibility.

Civic education, like education in general, has to be directed towards the formation of a person who can contribute positively to the good of his or her society through the duties and responsibilities he or she will assume as a citizen.  It creates in the person an awareness of the day to day issues that take place in society.

An American educationist, John Dewey, observed that education should be directed towards the social end.  Therefore civic education is meant to help the learner to participate fully in the life of his or her society.

QUALITY OF OUR SCHOOL LEAVERS

If education is said to be what is worthwhile, then one would expect in the school leavers a certain set of values that indicate this worthiness.