1. Why would my child's school decide to have a character and citizenship education initiative? Does this mean there are a lot of problems in the school?
Not at all. Even in schools with few problems, character and citizenship education has many benefits. Many schools are choosing to create character and citizenship education initiatives to build on the strengths they already have, to reflect on what areas of the school culture could be improved, and to involve parents and communities in a collaborative approach to making these changes.
2. What values does character and citizenship education teach? What if these values are different than my own?
Character and citizenship education recognizes that the primary responsibility for character and citizenship development lies with parents and families. An important step in school-based initiatives is identifying core values that are agreed on by the school, parents and community as important for students, community members and citizens. The best way to ensure that these values are ones you can support at home is to talk to your child's teacher about how you can become involved in the initiative.
3. How will I know if character and citizenship education is working in my child's school? What signs should I look for?
Character and citizenship education can take time to produce obvious changes, but gradually you will see positive results. Some things you may notice in your child and his or her school include:
- a positive school culture
- greater respect for self and others
- better relationships
- greater self-discipline
- fewer behavioural problems
- higher academic achievement.
Many schools develop an assessment plan to measure what effect the initiative is having. You may wish to speak to your child's teacher or the school principal to find out if this kind of evaluation is taking place at your child's school.
4. How can school councils support character and citizenship education?
School councils are opportunities for parents, teachers, principals, high school students and community representatives to collaborate and promote the well-being and effectiveness of the entire school community. Councils have a mandate to advise and consult with the principal on issues such as the school's overall mission and philosophy; school policies, rules and objectives; promotion of the school in the community; extracurricular activities; and standards of student conduct. This makes the school council a natural champion of character and citizenship education initiatives.
For more information on the role of school councils, see www.education.gov.ab.ca/educationsystem/schoolcouncils.asp.
5. How can I support character and citizenship education at home?
The primary responsibility for character and citizenship development has always been with parents and families-in many ways, character and citizenship education is meant to support this essential work that parents are already doing. There are also lots of ways you can reinforce the specific values and behaviours that are identified in a school-based initiative. For example, you may want to:
- attend school and community events related to character and citizenship, as well as related topics such as bullying
- find out about the classroom and school expectations for behaviour, and consider reinforcing similar expectations at home
- join your child in volunteering in the community.
