Citizenship education
Learning at school and in society

Citizenship Practice, Secondary Education Guidance Cycle of the Geneva Canton.

Canton of Geneva, Switzerland.

The Secondary Education Guidance Cycle of the Canton of Geneva (general culture secondary school for fifteen-year-old students) promotes three dimensions of citizenship at school. They are: 1) a transversal dimension at a school level (daily life, students parliaments); 2) a disciplinary dimension that involves all subjects taught at school, and 3) a specific dimension related to the teaching-learning process, containing a specific schedule and history and citizenship education courses for all students of the 7th and 9th grades. Such citizenship education is seen in relation to the citizenship practice, in the widest sense of the word (political, social or cultural). It has to do with all human aspects and, firstly, tries to base itself on the students' concerns, and then it allows them to create their own opinion of the world, the way in which they could fit and act in it. Besides, it calls to mind the conflicts of interests of the human society and the means to solve them without violence and within the framework of free practice of democracy (linked with subject 2).

The "Citizens' Practice" in Geneva is covered by the history and citizenship education courses of the Guidance Cycle, since it has to deal with school and social life outside classroom work. Through the activities carried out within the course, the students leave school and get in contact with the community (neighborhood, district, city, canton, etc.) within a space of free expression and position taking. The teaching of history really stresses the citizenship dimension of all past events and invites the students to question themselves about the world in which they live. All new teachers of the Guidance Cycle are trained to provide citizenship education in a permanent training process.
The Public Education Department of the Canton of Geneva has allowed the publication of a brochure on the Citizens' Practice, which is an information document on the means on taking part in the life of one's district, city, country, etc. This document is first written by some of the students' teachers, and then given to all the students of the Secondary Education Guidance Cycle.

The citizenship education, previously termed "civic training" and later "civic education", has always been a part of the history course. The new concept of citizenship in education (three dimensions) has been given the name of "Citizenship Practice". This improved program has been adapted to the Guidance Cycle students' questions and concerns, leaving to them the task of taking position in relation to those matters that directly arouse their interest.

Mr. Jacques Bastianelli,
HEC teacher and co-president of the history and citizenship education group,
Guidance Cycle,
or
Mr. Claude Cottier
Director of the Secondary Education Guidance Cycle, teaching service,
Public Education Department of the Geneva Canton,
CP 218
1211 Geneva 28,
Tel : (0041) 22 791 78 11
claude.cottier@etat.ge.ch

From the beginning of 1999 to 2000.