Active Citizenship Education for a Better Tomorrow

This publication offers a reflection on citizenship education in Europe. By bringing together experts from various countries, it illustrates how historical events, national contexts, and European policies shape the way citizenship is taught in schools.

Global events, such as the migration crisis and the increasing, ongoing environmental issues have demanded and continue to demand international responses. These changes and crises influence identities, provoke us to ask what citizenship means in our societies and lead us to question how citizenship education is perceived today. Countries can no longer solely focus on national values; rather they now emphasize international democratic values and encourage citizens to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become active and critical members of society. Bringing together an overview of citizenship education opportunities and challenges this book provides substantial food for thought and helps us to better understand the international perspective on citizenship education.

Each chapter of the book provides a synthesis of how citizenship education is organized within specific national contexts. Furthermore, the results of a comparative study on citizenship in Flanders (Belgium), Czech Republic, Greece, The Netherlands, Spain and Turkey, is illustrated in this publication.