Dive Brief:
- Three former South Carolina governors are putting their weight behind a proposal launched by the "South Carolina Civics Education Initiative" that would prioritize civics education.
- Former governor and U.S. education secretary Dick Riley believes students should have to take a civics exam similar to the ones immigrants must take when applying for citizenship.
- SCCEI, Riley, and fellow former governors Jim Hodges and James Edwards want to see legislation written that will give high school students extra points in their GPA if they pass a civics test.
Dive Insight:
For some time, civics has been placed on the back burner in many schools. This can have repercussions beyond just students not knowing the difference between the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Ultimately, a lack of civic awareness can lead to apathy and disengagement from the voting process. While it's unclear how the GPA idea will play out, there is definitely space in the school day to slide in some civic education. This push isn't restricted to South Carolina, either, as Missouri officials have also expressed a desire to have students take a civics/citizenship exam.
Appropriately, the South Carolina Civics Education Initiative was announced Wednesday, which marked the 227th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.