A practical lesson in civics

Media

Part of Panorama

Title: A practical lesson in civics
Language: English
Source: Panorama Volume XVII (Issue No. 8) August 1965
Year: 1965
Subject: Voting; Civil rights; Political rights; Election Day
Rights
Fulltext: ■ Let the voters come out to vote. A PRACTICAL LESSON IN CIVICS A get-out-the-vote contest participated in by the more than 30,000 pupils in 39 Mia mi public schools resulted in the largest number of regis tered voters turning out in any election in the history of the city. The contest idea was sug gested as a practical lesson in civics and to put into real practice the principles of good citizenship as taught in the schools. While the children themselves did not vote, they were allowed a week to line up registered voters and to get the promise of these voters to go to the polls. To prevent the calling by the children becoming a nui sance to the housewife, a round sticker was provided to be placed in a window, and children were warned that they must not approach that home because the owner had already promised to vote. The School Board arrang ed the contest and offered several prizes. 1. A half-holiday to every home room with a 100 per cent record — that is, getting as many people to the polls as there are children in the room. 2. Ten dollars to be spent as the children decide to the home room in each school getting the most voters to the polls. Every voter received a tag reading "I voted today, did you?” After the polls closed at 7 p.m. the children col lected on their promises by going to get the tag and these were turned in at the school the following morning. Teachers are agreed that this was a practical demons tration on the importance of a voter exercising his privi lege to vote on a matter of importance to the city, and a lesson for the children that far surpasses the regular met hod of instruction. — The Progressive Teacher. 64 PANORAMA
pages: 64