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Zeynep Demirci
that is to say in the secondary school which was still in the immediate post-war period
reserved for a minority before the massification of school in the 1960s.
When it comes to the 1980s, citizenship education has become generally questioned
in two aspects: as part of participatory democracy, as a process of raising the citizens
of the future, and accompanied by school citizenship through the participation of the
students in the management of the educational life (Pagoni, 2009: 3-8). To achieve this
goal, cultural and educational action projects based on educational action projects
(PAE) and intercultural actions have been put forward (PACTE). PACTE, which was
established in 1979, covers secondary education. PAE is articulated on three key con-
cepts: opening up to external partners, being in harmony with existing ministries and
being open to different approaches.
When it comes to recent years, we go beyond the definition of classical citizenship
and witness the frequent use of the concept of active citizenship. Active citizenship
has been used to emphasize individuals who actively participate in social life and act
responsibly and consciously, in contrast to the situation in which the individual is pas-
sive in society. The basic qualifications required for active citizenship, defined in the
framework of the European Union and organized for development up to 2020, are
as follows: social and political movements in society, basic knowledge and concepts
of European Union structure and integration processes, social skills, critical thinking,
communication skills, the willingness to participate constructively in public life and
decision-making, and a certain responsibility for voting behavior for this purpose. As
result, these skills mean collective sense of belonging, respect for democratic valu-
es and diversity, and defense of sustainable development (Commission Européenne,
Eurydice, 2012: 8-9). The core of youth work refers to the learning of some skills ne-
cessary for the exercise of active citizenship. In other words, one of the missions of
youth services is “to contribute to the development of young people by building with
them the means to become aware of their abilities and to develop them, to experiment,
to express themselves and to Developing active and responsible critical citizenship”
(Grand-Ducal Regulation of 28 January 1999 on the governmental accreditation to
be granted to managers of youth services). However, the education for democratic
citizenship is not limited to formal learning. It involves all forms of education, both
formal and informal, and the life of the individual outside school. It aims to educate the
citizens who have the following characteristics: individuals who accept the rules and
have a sense of responsibility in their behaviors (health, road safety, solidarity, respect
for diversity, environmental education for sustainable development etc.), discussing
