Moylan Backs Effort to Teach Civics to Junior High Students

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To help ensure that students are exposed to the values of a civics education course, state Rep. Marty Moylan, D-Des Plaines, recently helped pass legislation that will ensure that public junior high students are provided a semester course on the topic.

“It’s incredibly important that our youth understand what is going on in the world,” Moylan said. “By emphasizing the value of understanding civics, we are teaching our future generations how to become more engaged citizens.”

Moylan voted in support of House Bill 2265, which would require public schools to teach a semester length civics course to students sometime during 6th, 7th or 8th grade. The course would focus on government institutions, the discussion of current and societal issues, service learning and the democratic process. Under current law, public high school students are required to complete at least one semester of civics education in order to graduate high school.

“I hope that civic courses will help to inspire the leaders of tomorrow,” Moylan said. “Leadership and civic engagement are two of the most important things we can teach our children.”