Why Sociable Joe Issa Backs Return of Civics to Make Huge Impact on Discipline in Schools and Societ

As the country grapples with social indiscipline among the youth, Joe Issa welcomes the return of Civics to the classrooms of the island’s schools a move he says will engender greater respect and tolerance among citizens. 

 

“I personally think that all this indiscipline in the society is due to the lack of education of individuals about their role and responsibility to each other and to the country, including its governing institutions.

 

“I believe the return of Civics on the syllabus will at least begin to impact the new generation of young people in a positive way which, over time will weaken the cycle of indiscipline and usher in a new era of respectful and responsible citizens,” says Issa, who is a civic leader with many years of contribution to the parishes of St. Mary and St. Ann, through their chambers of commerce.

 

Issa, in an interview was commenting on the latest news that the new Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator Ruel Reid, would be returning Civics to Jamaican schools.                     

 

According to a recent article, the minister is said to have emphasized the importance of national awareness as “an important part of a child’s development, and the teaching of civics must again occupy its rightful pride of place in schools,” noting that “students must be taught about their history - where they are coming from and where they intend to go.”

 

“Our students must know their basic human rights; know about Universal Adult Suffrage, and the great men and women who fought for it. We want our citizens to be proud Jamaicans.

 

“We need to get back to the good, young days when saying ‘good morning’, ‘thank you’, and ‘please’ was almost second nature. Boorishness and indecency must be relegated to the dunce benches,” Senator Reid is quoted as saying.

 

According to Wikipedia, “Civics is the study of the theoretical and practical aspects of citizenship, its rights and duties; the duties of citizens to each other as members of a political body and to the government.”

 

It adds, Civics “includes the study of civil law and civil code, and the study of government with attention to the role of citizens - as opposed to external factors - in the operation and oversight of government…Within a given political or ethical tradition, civics refers to educating the citizens.”

 

In the case of those imparting the subject, the minister is said to have urged teachers never to “compromise on the importance of having good values and attitudes as core principles,” saying that “to do otherwise would be succumbing to crassness, rudeness and lewdness.”

 

“The history of civics dates back to the earliest theories of civics by Confucius in ancient China and Plato in ancient Greece.

 

In China also along with Confucianism developed the tradition of Legalism,” Wikipedia informs.