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Informed citizenship and the core curriculum
Writing in the Peoria Journal Star, Phil Luciano hones in one of the key findings of What Will They Learn?, our latest report on general education requirements, and explains why it matters: "only two of the 100 schools require students to take a basic course in economics. That's horrifying in an era where the worldwide economy is falling apart, leaving many people confused as to the causes and possible solutions -- and ignorant as to whether our leaders are making solid decisions."
Democratic governance -- "government of the people, by the people, for the people," in Lincoln's words -- requires an informed citizenry that can understand the debates of the day. One need only look at the issues that have dominated the headlines in recent months -- the recession, the stimulus and now health care reform -- to realize the importance of having citizens who are economically literate. Not to mention citizens who understand how their governing institutions work and who are not afraid of numbers.
Posted by David Azerrad on August 27, 2009 at August 27, 2009 12:17 PM
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