Initial findings of International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) released by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) at a press conference in Goteborg on June 29, 2010

The largest international study ever conducted on civic education in secondary schools tested and surveyed over 140.000 students in more than 5,000 schools from 38 countries. The study wanted to find out how well prepared students are to be citizens in a fast-changing world, and how much they have learned about civics through their formal education.

Some general trends have been presented:

• The level of civic knowledge among students shows large variation among the participating countries
• Significant decline of civic knowledge in fifteen countries
• Parental occupational status and parents' political interest is associated with students' civic knowledge, less associated with parents' migrant background
• At an average, students tend to be better informed about the political and electoral system of their countries than about possibilities of active engagement. More young people expect to vote in national elections than to be engaged in other civic activities.
• In almost all countries girls showed a higher degree of civic knowledge and understanding than boys
  

IEA chair Dr Seamus Hegarty said at the press conference:

"I hope the findings of the study will serve to enhance the role of citizenship education in all our schools."

The EWC plans a series of Educators' Consultations in 2011 to introduce and discuss the findings of the study with teacher trainers and teachers in Europe. To view our ongoing Educators' Consultations on the issue of "Religion in Education", please click here.

Click here to download the report on initial findings.

View the IEA Press conference here.