WHEREAS many citizens, young and old, do not have a great deal of knowledge about the actual role of local government within their community: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UBCM be requested to approach the provincial government requesting Local Government Studies be added to the grades 8 to 12 school curriculum.
Ministry of Education BCs school system generally is designed to enable all learners to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to become active participants in their communities and in society. More specifically, the Social Studies curriculum, which includes civics, aims to develop thoughtful and responsible citizens who understand and exercise their roles, rights and responsibilities in society. Social Studies is mandatory for all students from Kindergarten to Grade 10. BC students must also take a Social Studies 11 or 12 course to graduate, choosing from among Civic Studies 11, BC First Nations Studies 12 or Social Studies 11. Students start learning as early as Grade 4 about governance structures and by Grade 5 about government processes such as elections. Educating students about civics, of course, does not guarantee that they will vote once they are eligible. There are many resources and initiatives intended to encourage both young people and adults to participate in the democratic process. Elections BC, for example, have developed two education kits to introduce youth to the importance of active participation in the provincial electoral process. The kits have been designed to support the prescribed learning outcomes of the provincial Social Studies curriculum.