Lesson Note on Introduction To Civic Education for SS 1 to SS 3.
1.1 Meaning of Civic Education
1.2 Aims and Objectives of Civic Education
1.3 Importance of Civic Education
1.4 Agencies of Civic Education
1.1 MEANING OF CIVIC EDUCATION
Civic education maybe defined also social science subjects which studies the way in which the rights duties privileges and obligations of people are protected in any Society. Civic education has its roots from the term Citizenship Education. The subject teaches and enlightens the people or citizens about the right values right attitude and right behaviour that are generally acceptable to the society reside. Above all the citizens are kept abreast of the activities and responsibilities of the government to them. However, there are certain norms and values in the society that must be kept by the members of a society. Interestingly, these norms and values transit from one generation to another mostly in the area of their tradition religion and of course every other thing that are in consonance with their culture.
Civic education also focus and the behaviour of every man in society. Since it is a general belief that no man is an island to himself, this subject examines a man’s behaviour vis-àvis his relationship with other people within the society and most importantly the attitude of government was does that it governs.
1.2 SCOPE OF CIVIC EDUCATION
The scope of Civic education is very broad. This is engendered by the fact that it covers a wide spectrum of human lives and activities. There are so many subjects covered by Civic education in Nigeria, these include: Government, Sociology, Economics, Political science, Geography, Psychology Arts, just to mention a few. Civic Education deals with the right attitude, right values, fundamental human rights and the rights to personal liberty, equity before the laws of the land. Civic education also in a way promotes the social and economic development of the society. One way of doing this is to have a civilized society where by citizens are disciplined law-abiding and dedicated to their responsibilities. The government at all levels must provide the necessary physical infrastructures and basic amenities like road, electricity, water, as well as promoting economic activities in a society.
1.3: AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF CIVIC EDUCATION
The major aims and objectives of Civic education as a subject offered in senior secondary school level are as follows:
1) To promote the understanding of the inter relationship between man/woman, the government and the society.
2) To highlight the structure of government, it functions and responsibilities of government to the people and vice versa.
3) To enhance the teaching and learning of the emerging issues.
4) To inculcate in students, their duties and obligations to the society.
5) To teacher the students the right attitudes and values of the society the live in.
6) To inculcate in the students, such desirable qualities as discipline, respect, obedience, patriotism, justice and a sense of nationalism.
7) To teach the students to imbibe the spirit of religious tolerance.
8) To inculcate moral values and encourage the students to be good citizens.
9) To teach the students the values of the society as well as encouraging the spirit of co-operation and friendship at all times.
10) to encourage the students to eschew bad and unholy behaviour at school and in the society at large.
11) To teach the students the norms, traditions, and of course the culture of the society.
12) To promote interpersonal relationship between different tribes in the society.
13) To inculcate in the students the spirit of Justice honesty love self-reliance and selflessness.
14) To encourage the students to be patriotic at all times as well as teaching the students about the rules and regulations governing the society.
15) To encourage the students to be good followers and have maximum respect for the laws of the society in which they reside.
16) To teach the students to know how and respect the rights of other citizens and constituted authorities and also help students discover themselves rather quickly as they become well informed about their society.
1.4 IMPORTANCE OF CIVIC EDUCATION
1) Civic education helps in so many ways to promote peaceful co-existence among people of different ethnic groups.
2) The study of Civic education will go a long way to enhance individual growth as well as promoting national integration.
3) It provides an ample opportunity to the students to receive balanced education in various subjects and proper moral training.
4) Civic education posters peace and orderliness as well as being used as a tool for sensitization and awareness.
5) It facilitate the possibility of living in peace and harmony as well as cultural rebirth.
1.5 AGENCIES OF CIVIC EDUCATION
The agencies of Civic education as follows:
1) The Family: A family is a group of people who are related to each other, especially parents and the children. Therefore, family is a starting point as an agency for Civic education. The expectation of the society from the family is the ability of the parents to teach their children the right values, hardwork, sincerity, honesty, and above all, to ensure that the children are morally brought up.
There are three types of family namely:
1) The Nuclear Family
2) The Compound Family
3) The Extended Family
1) The Nuclear Family:
The nuclear family is made up of a man, his wife and a child or children. In a situation whereby it is just a man and one wife it is called a monogamous marriage. However, a man could have more than one wife.For instance the Islamic religion and some other traditional religions permits a man to marry more than just one wife in such situation him and his wife and their children from a nuclear family through the process of polygamous marriage.
2) The Compound Family:
This type of family is made up of some brothers, sisters, and relatives with their wives and children living together under one roof generally referred to as family house or family compound. In the family compound what is highly noticeable is step relationship such as the step-father’s step-mother’s the step-brothers or step-sisters and what have you.
3) The Extended Family:
This type of family can conveniently be regarded as an extension of the nuclear family. The children from nuclear family who are grown at a certain point will leave to establish their own families after marriage. The children that emanated from such marriages up to three to four generations or even more are invariably members of the extended family. They are grandparents, aunts, cousins, nephews. Just like I mentioned earlier on, whether the family is nuclear compound or extended it is incumbent a duty on the family as an agent of socialization to teach the children the right values on how to be good citizens in the society.
The Introduction to Civic education lesson note available on this site is written in line with government’s declaration for new education programme with a view to meeting the targets of a 9-year BASIC Education Curriculum.
