ORGANISATION AND ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF CIVIC EDUCATION AMONG PUPILS IN EUROPEAN SCHOOLS

Abstract

This article analyses the characteristics of the organisation and assessment of civic education for pupils in European schools. It has been found that in most European countries, schools endeavour to involve their pupils in community life and vice versa. On the one hand, members of the wider public may be involved in school activities; on the other, pupils may venture beyond the confines of their school to fully experience life in the community.
As the study shows, schools’ involvement in civic education encompasses a variety of activities, ranging from information initiatives that give pupils an understanding of social events to their active participation in the daily life of the local community.
It has been established that since the early 1990s, non-governmental organisations in Central and Eastern European countries have made significant efforts to implement civic education programmes.
It was emphasised that certain countries (Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Bulgaria and others) have launched long-term programmes to encourage the younger generation’s participation in civil society. It has been established that civic education in Europe focuses on the development of active citizenship, democratic values and an understanding of European institutions, both through a combination of specialised subjects and through integration into the curricula for history, social studies, geography, ethics and languages.
The research indicates that each country develops specific criteria for measuring pupils’ achievements and continuously improving the quality of civic education. In particular, some European countries are introducing special thematic inspections, surveys, pilot projects, and so on.
The following features of the organisation and assessment of civic education in European schools have been identified: the active participation of pupils in community life; close cooperation between schools and various bodies and organisations; extensive use of active forms and methods of organising civic education; the introduction of long-term programmes to promote the younger generation’s participation in civil society and specialised subjects for the implementation of civic education; the conduct of examinations in subjects related to civic education; and several others.