Civic Education in the Czech Republic. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper describes some aspects of the transition taking place in Czech educational efforts since the "Velvet Revolution" of 1989, particularly changes in the teaching of civic education in the schools. The paper takes the position that governments find it important to mold new generations in areas of civic responsibility, whatever the nature of those governments, however controlling or free they may be. The paper is based on exploratory interviews with students, faculty, and administrators at the University of South Bohemia and at the Ministry of Education in 1992-94, as well as a limited review of the literature. A section on education under Communism describes the 40 year effort to remold Czechoslovak education in the image and likeness of the Soviet Union's education system and following the principles of international communism. The next several sections describe the transitions to a post-communist educational system in basic education, secondary education, higher education and civic education. A section devoted to the transition period following the revolution goes into greater detail on the content of a new civic education which is seen as having the goal of providing students with the skills for individual responsibility and social participation, with ethical values, and with the ability to think critically. A final section offers recommendations for planning civic education curricula. (Contains 15 references.) (JB)