How to define “an educated citizenry” in the 21st century

Founding father Thomas Jefferson is often credited with the quotation, “an educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” Although the citation is inaccurate, it is a fairly precise paraphrasing of our third president’s views on the importance of education.

While Jefferson may not have uttered these words almost 200 years ago, the importance of the thought is as relevant in the 21^st century as it was in the 19^th. Even today, educational groups will gather to discuss the meaning of “educated citizenry.” After coming to a consensus on the definition, the next step is to determine how to acquire it.

Expanding Beyond the Schools

The quest for meaning transcends beyond the educational milieu. For example, in December 2010, the Missouri State Senate announced the creation of its education report, entitled “Educated Citizenry 2020.” The objective was to set standards for Missouri students to reach by 2020 and the panel addressed several issues including goals for standardized passing rate (75%) and graduates earning college degrees (60%).

 Other issues addressed focused on the process to be used to reach these goals. Included in the report were sections dealing with the expansion of charter schools and reformed teacher compensation, particularly the addition of voluntary merit pay for teachers. These additions mirrored the ideals presented by the Department of Education’s Race to the Top program, a series of mandates delivered from the federal to the state level requiring state systems to make adjustments in return for increased federal funding. States earn points for implementing various federal guidelines and money is delegated based on the placing of each state – hence, a race.

 The View from Hollywood

 Even filmmakers and celebrities have gotten into the act of defining “educated citizenry.” In September 2010, Davis Guggenheim introduced us to his vision of education’s current state. Called “Waiting for Superman,” the movie focuses on the lives of five diverse students. The intention was to have at least one student remind the viewer of someone he or she knew, thus enhancing the connect to and affection for each student. The film acted to serve as a motivational factor for teachers and “reality lens” for non-educators.

The charter school movement has also gained several famous followers, most notably Oprah Winfrey, who has opened her own Seven Fountain Primary School in South Africa, while donating millions of dollars to several charter school systems through her Angel Network. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has also donated billions of dollars to various educational organizations, in many cases to enhance technology as well as math and science curricula. In one instance, the foundation donated $1.37 billion dollars to the United Negro College Fund for the creation of the Gates Millennium Scholars program.

Our Global Neighbors Agree

The quest to define “educated citizenry” is not limited to American citizens. A recent article by Michael White in London’s Guardian newspaper centered on the need for an educated workforce and educated citizenry. White theorized that educational issues had become front page news because of the tie-in to a country’s economic situation. With the decline of manual labor positions, education has become more important for survival in an increasingly scholarly society. Also, the author looked at the export value of a quality education for the country of England as a whole.

While there may not be an agreement on the definition of “educated citizenry,” the core of the meaning focuses toward educational progress on a global scale. There may be disagreement on the means necessary to achieve the end result, but the goal remains constant.