Constitution Day Is Not Being Promoted As It Should
Two hundred twenty years ago today, the United States Constitution was adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia as the new governing document of the still fledgling nation. The Constitution was later submitted to the thirteen states for ratification, all of which eventually chose to vote for its acceptance. Since that time, it has been the primary law under which the federal government of the United States has operated and is the oldest written national constitution still in use.
In 2004, Congress passed legislation bearing an amendment which made September 17 a federal holiday to be called “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.” The amendment was the work of Senator Robert Byrd, a man who — despite obvious flaws — has a deep admiration for this nation’s highest law. The purpose of Byrd’s amendment was to promote education about the American Constitution by requiring all institutions of learning receiving funds from the federal government to provide some kind of teaching concerning the Constitution on September 17 of each year.
Since the first Constitution Day in 2005, schools around the country have been expected to offer a constitutionally-related curriculum to their students on that day, but unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be happening as a majority of high school students know nothing about the day and cannot recall how Constitution Day was observed by their schools a year ago.
The Associated Press has the details.
Constitution Day is here and many teenagers know little about commemorating the document’s signing.
A study being released Monday by a foundation that focuses on journalism and the First Amendment found that 51 percent of high school students questioned had not heard of the day when they are required by law to learn about the Constitution.
The occasion is usually observed on or around Sept. 17, the day the document was adopted in 1787.
Just one in 10 students could remember how his high school marked the day last year, according to the study, paid for by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in Miami.
Eric Newton, vice president of the foundation’s journalism program, said he worries that an entire generation may lack a solid understanding of the document that governs America’s democracy.
“We’re concerned that teaching to the test and the emphasis on math and science is hurting the American civics education,” Newton said.
Recent national tests show that more students are learning the basics when it comes to history and civics, but are not rising beyond a modest competency in either subject.
The report did find some encouraging news. For example, 68 percent of students said they had taken a class that dealt with the First Amendment, compared with 58 percent in 2004.
What a shame that so few American students are getting a foundational education of how our government functions and what rights that they have as United States citizens. I believe that a good understanding of the Constitution is vital in order for students to learn how to be politically conscious and make informed decisions when they become voters. It is regrettable that so many schools have been failing to teach the importance of the Constitution in their classes — and continue to do so even after Congress made it a requirement.
As I mentioned two years ago, the Education Department does have ways to punish schools who fail to comply with the law concerning Constitution Day, but I doubt that is likely to happen. If enforcement was attempted, there would be a huge backlash about the federal government telling local schools what to teach.
I can certainly understand the point of those who raise those arguments; I have concerns of my own about the government’s intrusion into the education of children. But in this case, no one is ordering school officials to teaching any specific curriculum concerning the Constitution. Educational institutions are free to decide exactly what program they will offer on September 17. They just have to teach something about the Constitution today. I don’t think that is too much to ask.
Created at 3:13 PM
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