James Banks. In Educating Citizens in an American Society
says,
“A
fundamental premise of a democratic society is that citizens will participate
in the governing of the nation and that the nation-state will reflect the
hopes, dreams, and possibilities of its people. People are not born democrats.
Consequently, an important goal of the schools in a democratic society is to
help students acquire the knowledge, values, and skills needed to participate
effectively in public communities. Educating students to be democrats is a
challenge in any kind of society. It is a serious challenge in a society
characterized by cultural, ethnic, racial, and language diversity, especially
when these variables are used to privilege some individuals from some groups
and to deny others equal opportunities to participate.” (p. 1)
The promotion of democracy should be a central
goal of schooling. Teachers should promote and cultivate democratic values. One
way we promote democracy is to teach about civic responsibility, the electoral
process, and the U.S. Constitution. A second way is to teach using social
participation and service learning strategies . A third way to promote
democracy in the classroom is by developing in students a preference for fairness,
justice, and mutual respect; these are issues of classroom management.
Excerpts from Choosing Democracy: a practical guide to
multicultural education. ( 4th. edition. 2010)
