Online discussion on the topic “It’s time for Civic Education! Reflections on teaching Civic Education in secondary vocational schools” was organized within the USAID Youth Ethnic Integration Project, implemented by the Macedonian Civic Education Center in cooperation with the Bureau for Development of Education.
At the beginning of the event, the director of the Bureau for Development of Education greeted the attendees and congratulated them on the successfully completed school year. Afterwards, the research findings regarding the experiences with the new curriculum for the first year of secondary education and the Guidebook for Teachers of Civic Education in Secondary Vocational Education (MK, ALB) were presented. Namely, most of the students (about 85%) stated that their experience with this subject had been very positive and the things they had learned would be very useful for them.
Furthermore, the teachers and students discussed teaching practices that contribute to quality teaching of Civic Education and a democratic classroom climate. The students shared what was the most interesting to them from the classes of the past year and stated that the things they had learned would be useful in their future lives.
The representatives of the Working Group for Civic Education for the Secondary Vocational schools referred to the preparation of the teaching materials. “The goal was to design materials that would not only be interesting for the students, but would also help the teachers in the implementation of the teaching methods. The process was very cooperative, although it was carried out remotely,” explained a member of the Working Group.
The teachers emphasized the possibility of adapting the teaching materials for use in distance learning. “The Guidebook was very helpful in preparing the lesson, attracting the attention of the students and encouraging them to create the content themselves,” said one of the teachers.
According to them, the goals of the Civic Education curriculum should be integrated in other subjects and extracurricular activities. “The teacher must set an example, without being prejudiced and practice multiculturalism and active citizenship,” they added.
They believe that joint classes also fit into these goals, especially when it comes to developing intercultural values. They said that they had faced some challenges during the implementation of these classes, but when the students worked in groups on specific tasks, the cooperation was excellent.
At the end of the event, the wonderful atmosphere was enriched with a discussion among all participants who exchanged experiences and opinions on the teaching practices that contribute to building a democratic climate in the classroom. The event and the certification of the teachers completed the process of preparation of teaching materials and trainings for Civic Education teachers in the secondary vocational schools.
This activity is part of the Youth Ethnic Integration Project, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This article is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of MCEC and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) or the United States Government.
