Educating For Citizenship And Democracy - 2593 Words

Educating for citizenship and democracy In general, education has two purpose, one is for individual development, another is for social and nation needs. Development of individuals through education is well known, such as getting a high-paid job, being more intelligent, having a more successful life. But individual and social aims of education are complementary to one another. However, I believe educating for citizenship and democracy is one of the most important aims because education is not only about learning, but also how to use the knowledge, skills and values to actively participate in community and social development, to make our world a better place. Citizenship education is about enabling people to have a†¦show more content†¦Developing citizenship not only involves general knowledge studying such as reading and writing, but also requires the development of citizens capable of engaging in critical thinking, problem solving, knowing their rights and responsibilities , components of laws and institutions, etc. They need the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to plan and make the change, and education is the best and most efficient way to provide the knowledge, behaviours and skills for individuals. Education produce ideal citizens for the country, and make the country have competitive advantage as the same time that citizens living high quality lives. It is in my opinion that educating citizens is a win-win strategy for both individuals and the country, because on one hand it could bring individuals financial benefits, and on another hand it could develop those individuals to be great citizens. Since education is important to a nation, aims of education must be consistent with national goals and values. â€Å"Education itself does not have aims, it is parents, teachers, and society that hold aims for it† (Barantovich et al., 2004). This is how the nation is making sure education is working for them, by setting them. Though it may have its downsides when considering citizenship education as the aim. People in power make decisions and hand them down to