Citizenship Education and the Ideology of Change: A Philosophical Appraisal

Abstract

We live in a rapidly changing society, in the age of globalization, information and communication revolution. We must accept the reality of the dramatic changes that are affecting our lifestyles, our ways of thinking, feeling and acting.

 Ake (1978) supports the view that political and social systems are constantly in a state of fluidity. As over the last two decades or so the needs of our nation and the attitude of our citizens, politically, economically and socially have continued to change. The nation is now under democratic government, so the political system itself has undergone some form of change. This requires us to seriously reflect on our major responsibility of educating our youth to be abreast of the current happenings in the country and the world at large to make them become the citizens and leaders of the future, the creators of better tomorrows. How can we prepare our youth to meet the challenges of such complex and fast changing realities that they face today and in the future? How can the youth be empowered to become agent of change for a better world? How can we help develop the citizens to be abreast with the evolving socio-economic and political condition of the country? This brings us to the major issue of this paper. The paper seeks to look at the constant state of citizenship education. The need for citizenship education to embrace the ideology of change. The philosophical outlook to the course "citizenship education and the change mantra”.