US citizenship values show the REAL threat to democracy
Can a democracy survive if its youth know it Nothing about government or citizen participation?
The United States will soon find out.
The latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (also known as the Nation’s Testimony) shows that nearly a third 8th graders cannot describe the basic functions of our government.
The national average score on the 8th grade NAEP civics test fell to where it was in 1998, when it was first administered.
Scores in history were under the first-year level of 1994.
In other words, we’re back to where we started with billions of tax dollars spent and literally less than zero to show for it.
Shed a tear for the American experiment.
NAEP scores in civics were mediocre from the start, but have shown signs of improvement this century.
Then came the pandemic and mass school closures.
The result?
In civics, 79% score below the competency benchmark.
Only 2% are advanced.
In history, 86% of the students had a lower score and only 1% had an advanced score.
History scores have actually been sliding down since 2014, well Before COVID.
Blame the growing emphasis on woke nonsense over actual instruction.
In fact, toxic ideologies like critical race theory teach children that America itself is irrevocably evil.
Can you think of a better way to destroy interest – let alone love – for the country in children?
The dismal NAEP reading and math results released weeks ago are bad enough.
They mean that our schools are failing our children, who will enter adult life unprepared.
The civics and history scores suggest that the very fabric of American democracy is eroding.
Apathy and ignorance are incompatible with a participatory democracy.
They cede the field to the peddlers and charlatans—from Trump to AOC—that characterize contemporary politics.
Teacher unions and educators will demand nothing but real teaching. It’s up to Americans who actually care about education — and democracy — to reverse this catastrophe.
In fact, here’s a test you can try at home: Next time a politician (cough, Joe Biden) lectures on “threats to our democracy,” listen to them even be mentioned The one.
