MEANING OF CIVIC EDUCATION

Meaning of Civic Education

Civic education is the type of education that is  meant to create awareness, teach right values, right attitude, and behaviours that are acceptable to the society where an individual lives. It is the inculcation of the right type of values, attitudes, skills and knowledge in order to function effectively in the society. It can also be defined as the type of education that teaches individuals their rights, responsibility and values about themselves and the state in which they reside. It involves the process of learning knowledge or acquiring skills to carry out the required activities, or to participate in the affairs of the society at different levels. In other word, citizenship education is the type of education that helps citizens to know their rights as well as their corresponding duties and obligations to the state. They are passed from one generation to another through tradition religion and other ways of doing things that are found in their respective tradition and cultures.

Importance of teaching Civic education in schools

       i.            Civic education is necessary towards proper upbringing of an individual: in the school system both teachers and community members must work hard enough to teach the acceptable right and values.

     ii.            Civic education is essential for self-reliance: teaching civic education in schools will enhance the capacity of an individual and group on how to be independent persons.

  iii.            Enhance individual growth thereby encouraging national development and rapid progress: Civic education breeds individual's growth through learning in awareness creation ,self growth, self-reliance  and other ways of contributing to  personal, community, National and global development.

  iv.            It encourages peaceful co-existence among people of diverse ethnicities: it exposes one to learn and have the knowledge of other tribes particularly their tradition and cultures.

     v.            Civic Education creates avenue for people to live in peace and harmony particularly in a country like Nigeria it brings about harmonious relationship and peaceful co-existence in the community.

  vi.            Civic education encourages good leadership and good followership: it enhances civic re-orientation and awakening social responsibilities by the people to the government.