Citizenship at The Academy
"This city is what it is because our citizens are what they are." - Plato
High-quality Citizenship education equips students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding necessary to actively and responsibly participate in a democratic society. Through The Academy's Citizenship studies, students gain comprehensive knowledge about politics, parliament, power, the law, human rights, justice, equality, the economy, communities, and New Zealand's role in the world. This knowledge helps them comprehend the world, develop a sense of agency, and voice their opinions on important contemporary issues.
The goal of Citizenship education at The Academy is to nurture informed, responsible, and active citizens. Students learn to think critically about complex issues, evaluate sources, weigh evidence, solve problems, participate in debates, advocate their viewpoints, sustain arguments, and engage in democratic actions concerning matters of interest.
The Academy's Citizenship programme is done in modular form during our Friday extended experience time throughout the year.
The Academy's Citizen programme is built around the following areas:
- Rights, justice and the law
- Politics, parliament and government
- Finance and the economy
- Role of media and digital democracy
- NZ and the wider world
- Active citizenship, making a positive difference
Our Citizenship programme examines real issues and events, from local to global contexts. In a society where young people encounter a variety of complex and sensitive issues, Citizenship education empowers them to make informed decisions and collaborate with others on positive actions.
The Academy aims to give students a strong grounding and exposure to the subjects of politics, law, public service, and economics. Disciplinary knowledge includes: critical thinking and research; critical analysis and enquiry; handling controversial issues and weighing evidence; oracy, discussion and debate; argument and advocacy; influencing and campaigning; and other forms of citizenship action such as problem solving, collaboration and teamwork, and critical reflection.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead, American anthropologist
Guiding Principles for Citizenship at The Academy:
- We have the knowledge needed to interpret and understand the society we live in and how this can affect us and our communities.
- We develop skills to explore, discuss and critically evaluate citizenship issues and debates from different viewpoints, weigh evidence, form and justify a position.
- We have an understanding of how the NZ economy functions and about NZ's role in global trade.
"It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered." - Aristotle