The traditional role of civic education, irrespective of the political system in which it is located, is to support local values and make a positive contribution to the development of society. Yet the assumption of an ongoing status quo can no longer be assumed. The question that now confronts us globally is how civic education should be constructed in a future context that can only be described as precarious? In this article, I discuss challenges such as democratic backsliding and illiberal democracy on the one hand, and the promise of social media and more radical forms of civic engagement on the other. Civic education needs to be a subject within the broader school curriculum. In democratic contexts the focus needs to be on those institutions that support democracy, on a curriculum that highlights not only twenty first century skills but also values and the cultivation of teachers as leaders of learning. Importantly, there needs to be a realistic assessment of social media and AI to assess the ways they can contribute to active and informed citizens.
Kerry J Kennedy (Mon,) studied this question.