From the study
Participants across Canada shared their views on Citizenship Education. The recommendations focus on Social, Political, and Ecological Citizenship; History Education; Truth and Reconciliation; Immigration and Belonging; and addressing polarization.
Social Citizenship was identified as the most important area for increased attention, followed by political and environmental citizenship. Social Citizenship relates to community, care and connection, and to addressing issues such as racism and the historical and ongoing legacies of social inequalities.
Increase attention while continuing existing areas
Participants would like to see continued Political and Ecological Citizenship Education, which they already see occurring in schools. Significantly, Social Citizenship was identified as lacking in schools and was an area that participants would like more attention placed on.
Increase
Social Citizenship Education
Focus on building bonds and connections, care for each other, addressing racism, and the historical and ongoing legacies of social inequalities.
Continue
Political and Rights-Based Citizenship Education
Continue attention to participating in civic life, voting, awareness of political news, critical thinking, rights and freedoms, responsibilities, and Canadian history.
Continue
Ecological Citizenship Education
Participants would like to see continued Ecological Citizenship Education, which they already see occurring in schools.
Care, Connection, and Community
Social Citizenship encompasses the bonds that unite individuals in a nation state together in a shared sense of community, and a feeling of concern for others. It entails feeling a connection to the nation and to all citizens while recognizing how inequalities exist, and have existed, in the nation and might be addressed.
Participants advocated for increased attention to Social Citizenship Education.
Care
- Kindness, empathy, and considering others
- Acceptance, reciprocal bonds, and respect
- Recognition of different abilities and valuing each person
- Equity due to the legacies of race and colonialism
- Supporting new immigrants
- Being good neighbours
Connection
- Bonds through shared Canadian values
- Charter and democratic rights
- Multiculturalism and inclusion
- Addressing racism and division through anti-racism education
- Historical legacies and Truth and Reconciliation
- Fair treatment
Community
- Belonging and reciprocity in receiving and giving
- Awareness of actions
- Addressing social divides, historical legacies, and shame
- Volunteering and social histories of diverse contributions to Canada
- Participation, appreciation, respect, and open-mindedness
- Discussion and conflict resolution
- Supporting the whole community
- Living together, relationality, treaties, and Indigenous rights
Additional recommendations
The sections below organize the recommendations identified in the research.
Political Citizenship Education
Continue political citizenship related to participating in civic life
- Voting
- Awareness of political news
- Critical thinking
Teach achievements and challenges together: a dialectical approach
- Positive developments and achievements, including rights, security, and shared common goods
- Historical negatives and challenges, including social and political inequality, especially for Indigenous peoples and ethnically diverse Canadians
Teach rights and responsibilities together
- Rights and freedoms, including Charter rights
- Responsibilities, including following laws
Address political tensions and polarization
- Critical media skills
- Critical thinking
- Conflict resolution
Teach shared bonds
Teach traditional symbols and Canadian values as shared bonds, including inclusion and multiculturalism, democratic rights, and Charter rights.
History Education
Teach a more balanced historical account
History education can both address past historical wrongs and celebrate the good that has been done in the past and that Canadians value today, such as Charter rights.
- Biased immigration policies and the poor treatment of Indigenous peoples
- Positive developments and achievements in Canada
- The importance of recognizing both positive and negative historical events
Truth and Reconciliation Education
Building on Peter Seixas’ Historical Thinking concepts, particularly the ethical dimension of historical narratives and historical perspectives, recommendations include:
- Teach the past in ways that help youth understand that these events occurred in diverse times and that they are not personally responsible for what occurred in the past.
- Discuss with students that studying difficult past events involves coming to understand how actions have effects, which helps us to be mindful of the effects of our actions on others and society.
- Distinguish between the actions of individuals or government officials and the value of a citizenry. Recognize the good that has been done and the role each of us plays in contributing to creating a better community.
Immigration and Belonging
Social Studies and History education can play a role in helping immigrants to find their place and belonging in Canada through the following recommendations:
- Include anti-racism education in classes, as well as the contributions of diverse ethnic Canadians to Canada.
- Teach a narrative of the story of Canada that focuses more on how Canada was built on and through immigration, including attention to Truth and Reconciliation through discussion of the unique status and contributions of Indigenous peoples.
- Develop critical media skills to address misinformation being spread through means such as Social Media.
- Teach values shared in common, such as Multiculturalism, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Democracy, and Equity.
- Teach multiple histories, including histories and biographies that connect to the backgrounds of immigrant children in school. This could be accomplished by increasing the amount of World History taught in Canadian schools.
Addressing Polarization
Attention can be given to addressing the polarization of views through:
- Lessons on identifying and respecting complexity and humanity
- Lessons on identity, empathy, and kindness
- Anti-racism education
- Peaceful conflict resolution methods and skills
- Community engagement experiences
- Critical thinking
- Critical media skills
- Conflict resolution skills
- Reflection on how polarization can divide and unity is fragile
From Recommendations to Teaching Resources
Explore the Teaching Resources page.