Democratic Education for Dummies

"Schools in societies that are trying in various ways to be democracies such as the United States, Mexico, and Canada, are obliged to develop public citizens." -Walter C. Parker It's important to teach democracy in U.S. public schools because "schools educate citizenship: (Parker, p. 3). In a democracy, people govern. As Jefferson, believed at the beginning of the United States' founding, the people must be educated. Their education is imperative in continuing with the American way of life. The democratic principles that early Americans established require education of societal norms. These principles are to ensure the survival of a democratic society. In order to thrive as individuals, we must grow as a community. Walter Parker's "Teaching Against Idiocy" cites many examples of how important it is for the community to work in unison at the greater good of society. The greater good is for all people, not just the individual. In order for individuals to succeed they must put in effort and realize their role in the community. Parker blatantly states, "The idiot is one whose self-centeredness undermines his or her citizen identity." Parker is attempting to teach citizens that they must learn to preserve their freedoms. In a democracy where people govern themselves they must understand they will lose their established freedoms if they don't maintain the community. The community secures the desired conditions of its people. The American way of life is in jeopardy if U.S. citizens look only at their material possessions. American must understand that if only they succeed; the larger whole whom are repressed will make necessary changes to achieve their desired success, equality. When a community thrives, each individual will succeed. This is the democratic principle, for the people; it doesn't read for the person. Education itself is a step towards the success of democracy and a democratic society. However, it is an ideal and can fail if its maintenance is not kept up. Progress is taking place at its own pace as is always the case. To progress, new ideas must be understood and worked toward together. "United we stand, divided we fall." Previous ideas continually addressed are racism, ethnocentrism, and nationalistic variety. Whereby, improvements have been seen and continue to be made. This is a result of education. Education is a step at equalizing people. It is a step taken to unify students because they are the future, a team together. What now needs to be addressed is how democracy is being taken for granted by American "idiots" who don't realized the can lose their freedoms. Preservation of freedom is the main reason it is important to educate citizens of the United States. It is necessary for the social good, a democratic community. This culture's norms and social consciousness are preserved by the "essentials", a.k.a. qualities Americans come up with working toward a better way. Hard work at educating and understanding democracy is imperative to living together freely with justice and equality.