The Effect of the Political Education Curriculum and Political Knowledge / Literacy on the Political Socialization of Students: A Case Study of Bahamian Students in Montreal

The study was conceived as an inquiry into the effect of political education curriculum (PEC) and of political knowledge/literacy on the political socialization of students. Political education is taken to refer to any course studied in school which may have political content: history, current events, economics, social studies, geography, citizenship education, civics, environmental studies and similar subject matter. The function of such courses is to initiate individuals into "the skills and concepts required for active participation in political affairs of citizenship" (Entwhistle, 1971, p. 1). Therefore to gain insight into the role of political education in socializing individuals to politics, this study examined the effects of PEC upon the political socialization of a group of Bahamian youth studying in Montreal. This paper was prepared for presentation in Session 8: "The Education of Elites in Montreal" of the Comparative and International Education Society of Canada, Learned Societies Conference, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, June 7-9, 1977