ST. PAUL – State Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, and Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Acton Township, are chief authors of bipartisan legislation addressing a growing “crisis” of civics knowledge in Minnesota. Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, is a coauthor of the bill in the House.
The bill (S.F. 294/ H.F. 249/602) requires juniors or seniors to take a for-credit civics class as part of the 3.5 social studies credits required in Minnesota high schools. The Minnesota Department of Education will begin collecting data from an already required 50-question civics test that Minnesota students take between grades seven and 12. While passage of the exam is not a graduation standard, the test data will help assess civics knowledge in our state.
"As Thomas Jefferson, said, 'An enlightened citizenry is indispensable for the proper functioning of a republic. Self-government is not possible unless the citizens are educated sufficiently to enable them to exercise oversight. It is therefore imperative that the nation see to it that a suitable education be provided for all its citizens,'" noted Rep. Robbins. "This bill will help ensure that our students have a basic understanding of our government and are prepared to assume the responsibilities of self-governance and good citizenship."
“Knowledge of our state and federal governments has eroded to crisis levels as other subject areas have received increased emphasis in our schools,” Urdahl said. “The unintended consequences are damaging to our society, with a significant percentage of our population failing to have even a basic understanding of our how our government functions. This bill would restore civics as an important component in our educational system and the data we collect would be instrumental in analyzing the situation.”
A report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows less than 30 percent of students were proficient in civics, and a significant gap persists among racial and ethnic groups.
“Educated citizens are fundamental to a democracy and our representative democracy is only as strong as its citizens,” said Nelson, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee. “Students must have a working knowledge of our Constitution and government so they can shape our government institutions, rather than merely being shaped by them. I look forward to working across the aisle and with fellow educators in the legislature to strengthen our representative democracy through educating Minnesota students in civics education.”
Similar legislation passed the Minnesota Legislature last year, but was vetoed by Gov. Mark Dayton. This session, the bill was heard in Nelson’s E-12 Education Committee. In a remarkable display of bipartisan support, 68 co-authors have signed the House version of the bill, which received its first hearing in that body Tuesday.
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