“Two steps forward, one step back.”
That seems to be the theme of so much that happens in academe today. It is certainly the best one can say about the latest higher ed news coming out of the Bay State.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the cradle of the American Revolution. It was the home of patriots like John and Samuel Adams, the place where the “shot heard ‘round the world” was fired, the site of Paul Revere’s midnight ride. It is therefore quite fitting that the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education is seeking to “make civics a key component of every undergraduate student’s education at all state universities and community college.”
In defining the contents of a “civic education,” the Board of Higher Ed has rightfully put an emphasis on “an understanding of the U.S., including its history and governmental traditions[.]” As ACTA has long noted, “An understanding of American history and government is indispensable for the formation of responsible citizens and for the preservation of free institution.”
But a closer look at the state’s announcement raises some eyebrows. According to the Department of Higher Ed’s policy:
As noted in the definition of civic learning, useful approaches may include embedding civic learning in general education, core courses, major courses, co-curricular activities and off-campus experiences.
[…]
[C]ivic learning is a field in which widely accepted outcomes and content are still being developed.
Sifting through the inside-baseball jargon, one is left with the impression that Massachusetts is doing everything it can to make sure civic education is taught in state colleges, except actually requiring the teaching of civics in state colleges.
But real remedies to civic and historical illiteracy are not difficult to find. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, for example, mandate six credit hours in U.S. history and government. The University System of Georgia requires coursework in, or a demonstrated knowledge of, U.S. history.
In our age of embarrassingly low historical literacy, civic education is more important the ever. If we want students, parents, and taxpayers to get what they pay for from their public colleges and universities, then state boards (or if need be, state legislatures) are going to have to take clear, decisive action—not beat around the bush.
Policymakers in Massachusetts ought to take their new initiative all the way and require state schools and community colleges to teach a serious U.S. history and government curriculum. As Thomas Jefferson said long ago, a nation cannot remain both ignorant and free. It is time to stop pretending that higher education meets its responsibility to prepare its graduates for engaged and informed citizenship with wishful and vague aspirations.