A good education goes beyond facts. Learn why civics must teach self-government habits that sustain a Constitutional Republic.
That time is here again: after July 4, we think about school in the fall. What defines a “good education”—and what should it teach?
The True Purpose of Education
The measure is not merely whether students know facts. Rather, the deeper measure is whether they are learning the habits needed for self-government.
Why Self-Government Skills Matter
We say we want our students to learn a body of knowledge composed of facts, primary-source truths, real (not revisionist) history, and to be able to speak, read, and write effectively. We complain that the next generation is not obtaining these attributes in schools today.
The Role of Schools in a Constitutional Republic
What I find interesting is that we don’t prioritize, even demand, that schools teach the skills necessary for self-government. If we truly desire to live in freedom in a Constitutional Republic, then schools must help preserve the moral society that supports free government.
Our forefathers learned to read from books that taught and reinforced moral values such as truth, honesty, and caring for one’s neighbor as they care for themselves. They heard public acknowledgment of a Supreme Being, the Creator of us all. In other words, they learned to be responsible and accountable for their one and only life.
Another lesson they learned was to respect personal boundaries, like “this is where you end and I begin.” They also learned to be self-governing, self-supporting individuals. They were not taught to be a number in the collective living off the wages of strangers whom they do not know, nor appreciate. Above all, our forefathers learned humility and gratitude from surviving and thriving in freedom, not from reliance on government.
In Conclusion
Education should do more than fill minds—it should form citizens. In a free society, the ultimate purpose of schooling is to teach the habits that make self-government possible: When students learn to be accountable for their one and only life, freedom stops being a slogan and becomes a lived practice. If we want a Constitutional Republic worth keeping, we must teach students to govern themselves.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. 🇺🇸
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