A reaction by Joseph Gravina to the paper entitled 'Promoting democratic citizenship : an exploration of the current educational debate about what students at the beginning of the 21st century should be encouraged to understand by the concepts of ‘democracy’ and ‘citizenship’' by Philip Caruana that appeared in the last issue of JMER

Abstract

This paper is a critical reading of Philip Caruana’s study of citizenship education and is based on a theoretical analysis of, amongst others, his suggestion to synthesise national identity and shared fate concepts in order to improve the effectiveness of education for citizenship. The promotion of democratic citizenship is considered restrictive both because it is intended to mould as well as because it applies exclusively what it considers ‘liberal’ ideals. The critical exercise leads to the reworking of a broader programme for which the main areas of knowledge are traced: the state, the economy and culture. This, it is claimed, along with a relevant contribution of studies about the Maltese experience related to the study, also prepares for a return of social and economic interests to citizenship education. At the same time, a wider global view of world events is attempted, away from institutionalised canonical versions. Only in this way, it is claimed, can a political education curriculum be more effective. ‘Please sir, I want some more.’ When programmes in education for democracy and citizenship do not reach out far enough. ‘Please sir, I want some more.’ When programmes in education for democracy and citizenship do not reach out far enough.