Civic Education – a New Subject in the Basic Nine-Year School

Since the beginning of the school-year 1958/59 civic education has been introduced into the curriculum of the 6th—9th year of the experimental Twelve—Year Secondary Schools in order to find out whether, and to what extent, it helps to deepen the morally political education of the pupils and whether it is useful to introduce it into the General Educational School.
The results of the research generally confirm that civic education provides valuable opportunities for the furtherance of morally political education of the pupils. A positive influence of the educational work of successful teachers is reflected both in the consciousness of the children, and, to a certain extent, also in their conduct and behaviour. The growth of the pupils’ interest in current political events is impressive, and favourable changes have been observed in their views on, and attitudes to, the questions of our political and economic life. In classes conducted by experienced teachers, the subject has helped to deepen the education of the pupils in the sense of helping them to acquire the rudiments of a world scientific outlook and the rules of social and civic intercourse in a socialist society. It has been found that the living practice of the children has been influenced especially in that area of education which is concerned with winning the pupils for participation in useful work for the public. A valuable positive feature of the educational influence of successful teachers is the fact that it serves to promote the connection of school with life.
The research has proved that the effectiveness of educational work in civic education depends, to a great extent, on the teacher. In classes where the subject was taught by less capable teachers and where its tasks were not realized in accordance with the introductory and methodical notes attached to the syllabus, the results were rather poor. It has been observed that some teachers have a tendency to indulge in ineffective moralizing. On the other hand good results have been achieved where the teachers correctly focussed the content of their educational work and applied, in a creative way, the methods, forms, and means recommended in the methodical notes attached to the syllabus.
The research has brought nimierous findings, which will be used in making the final draft of the curriculum and in the elaboration of theoretical as well as practical questions concerning methods to be used in teaching the new subject.