The fostering of political knowledge in Quebec students : an exploratory study

Most young people are unaware that by learning about politics through the mass media they practice virtual politics. Political identity, however, is at the core of the developing youth; it is the root of how adolescents react to the outside world and how the outside world reacts to them. This identity is fostered in schools, among other places, and schools are the backbone of our political system. You cannot have a democracy without public education. This study is an enquiry into the political knowledge of senior high school students in Quebec and the influence of the high school curriculum on this knowledge. Sixteen to seventeen year old Quebec students, senior high school teachers, media producers and government agents were interviewed. The conclusions of this exploratory study point towards a new phase in which society demands that schools deliver active, critical citizens. At the same time, curricula, pedagogy and the relationship between the two is being redefined in education systems worldwide. In this study, it is clear that the Quebec Ministry of Education has, in the past, fallen short of fostering the type of Quebec citizens needed for today's democratic and pluralistic society. However, a new system-wide reform under way in the Quebec educational system has placed citizenship education at the core of its programs