WHEREAS it is desirable to increase the level of interest and participation in local government by young people in the community: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government significantly increase and improve the educational curriculum related to local government.
Ministry of Education BCs school system 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 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 fulfill a social studies 11 requirement to graduate, choosing from among Civic Studies 11, BC First Nations Studies 12 or Social Studies 11. Students start learning as early as Grade 3 about local governance structures and by Grade 5, study government processes such as elections. Both Social Studies 10 and 11 and Civic Studies 11 include specific learning outcomes about the structure and function of government in Canada and the different powers and responsibilities of different levels of government. For example, Civic Studies 11 contains learning outcomes in which students are expected to: - Describe the division of powers in Canada among federal, provincial, territorial, First Nations, and municipal governments; - Describe Canadas electoral systems and processes; and - Evaluate the citizens role in civic processes locally, provincially, nationally, and internationally. There are also many resources and initiatives intended to encourage both young people and adults to participate in the democratic process. Elections BC, for example, has 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. Finally, while students may learn about civics in the classroom, this does not guarantee that they will vote once they are eligible. Local government officials may wish to consider working with schools in their community to develop a local civics education program. Through activities like visiting schools or inviting students to attend local government meetings, local governments can engage directly with the students in their community and leave the students with a deeper understanding of what their local government does and why they should get involved in local politics.