In the aftermath of the 2024 election, the role of education in voting and in our government could not be more important. As of August 2024, only 35 states and Washington, D.C. require stand-alone civics courses for high school students. New Jersey is not one of those 35. This should not be the case; that statistic should apply to every state in the country.

Civics is the study of the rights and duties of a citizen in a society. Incorporating more civics in our education system is proven to lead to better social environments among students and can even lower the dropout rate, according to the National Education Association (NEA). Teaching civics also has a tendency to promote student volunteerism — many become involved with initiatives to help others, and are often more cognizant of the current political environment because of their involvement in the community. If a civics course was already in our curriculum, seniors going out to vote for the first time during this election cycle would have been more educated and prepared when placing their vote.

Unfortunately, Cherry Hill High School East does not offer stand-alone civics courses, as it is not required. Yet, somehow, New Jersey is also one of only five states that requires them for middle schools. While civics engagement at an early age is important for knowledge and understanding in our government, the curriculum in middle school did not resonate enough to actually teach me civics.

Hence, East should offer a full-year course in civics, specifically during junior and senior years to get the upperclassmen ready for voting and their political duties.

Civics is not a boring topic; a course on it would make East students more apt and ready to take on the politics of our society. We require a full-year of art credits, so why not civics as well? Knowing about our government is just as essential to our future as knowing how to creatively express ourselves.

For a civics course to have a lasting impact on East students, it would need to be rigorous and thorough. Obviously there would be instruction on the basics – democracy, the Constitution & Bill of Rights, U.S. government, etc. – but there should also be experiential activities and engaging opportunities to use civics knowledge in the real world. The schools that reap the benefits of civics education are the ones that hold mock trials, mock elections, debates of contemporary issues, even fake bills that go through the entire legislative processes and more.

Currently, East already offers an Advanced Placement (AP) United States Government and Politics class that achieves much of what has been discussed. An easy workaround for this is to have AP Government be the highest-level civics class at East. Just like how AP U.S. History is the highest level of the required U.S. History Course, AP Government can still be an option for those who want more out of a civics class. A lower-level civics class would naturally be needed, but it would work best as a course without a named level (not A, H nor R) similar to African American Studies. This way, the lower-level course affects GPAs in the same way for anyone who takes it.

We also cover some government in U.S. History courses, but it is not enough. Since history is such an exhaustive course, most teachers do not spend a ton of time in the government unit. We do overviews, but nothing in-depth.

Civics is essential to every student’s journey to becoming a true American. Knowing how our politics work is imperative to understanding where your own beliefs lie. Learning civics also inspires students to take action against issues they hold dear and fosters discussions about our politics. Once more, East should absolutely offer a civics course.