Conservatives who deplored a recent set of national history standards as being laden with negativism and multiculturalism should take comfort in guidelines now being suggested for the teaching of civics and government. A 179-page report released last week by the nonprofit Center for Civic Education in Los Angeles calls for students to leave high school with a detailed knowledge of American principles and institutions. Even fourth graders, it contends, should be able to identify American values, know the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, grasp the meaning of the flag and the Statue of Liberty and describe the significance of Thanksgiving and Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education under the Bush administration, "National Standards for Civics and Government" is the latest in a series of national reports designed to bring about higher goals for students. Even though the proposals are being distributed to educators and textbook publishers, they may have only slight impact. Final approval is up to state and local officials, and government-backed guidelines are not exactly in vogue these days.
