All for One and One for All: Citizenship and Maths Education.

This paper defines active citizenship as a fundamental aim of democratic society that enables all citizens to participate as fully as possible in cultural, economic, political, and social life. Adult education is recommended as a forum for promoting active citizenship and, since participatory democracy is learned through practice, should be an experience in participatory democracy. The author argues that adult classes in any curriculum in this case mathematics should have as an explicit objective the acquisition of knowledge and skills that contribute to active citizenship. Examples of pertinent numeracy skills include understanding financial calculations for school governors; interpreting tax proposals; and obtaining and analyzing information for community groups. The author suggests that having the following attributes promotes active citizenship: (1) the ability to negotiate and cooperate with others, deal with difference and conflict, listen constructively, obtain information, and voice opinions and ideas; (2) the confidence to be proactive, have independent opinions, act independently, take responsibility, and assume one's voice will be heard and taken into account; and (3) know how society is structured, how local and national government works, the basic ideas of political parties and political philosophies/ideologies. The document contains 17 references. (MO)