High Schooler REVEALS What Schools Hide About Civics Education

(ProsperNews.net) – Public schools across Minnesota are enabling student walkouts against ICE without teaching participants the constitutional difference between executive enforcement agencies and Congress, exposing a nationwide civics education crisis that threatens the republic’s foundation.

Story Snapshot

Minnesota students walked out protesting ICE despite most lacking basic knowledge of government’s separation of powers
Only 22% of eighth graders score proficient in civics, with NAEP data showing steady decline from 2018-2022
High school columnist Gregory Lyakhov argues schools celebrate “student voice” while avoiding structured debate and constitutional education
Fewer than half of U.S. states require standalone civics courses for graduation, trailing international peers

Activism Without Education Creates Misdirected Protests

Gregory Lyakhov, a 12th-grade columnist and Trump supporter, exposes a troubling pattern in Minnesota public schools where administrators facilitated student walkouts protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement without ensuring participants understand how government functions. Students mobilized within minutes of viral social media posts to demand abolishing ICE, an executive agency enforcing laws passed by Congress. The protests reveal what Lyakhov calls “performance” activism—students targeting the wrong branch of government because schools prioritize experiential learning over constitutional literacy, leaving young Americans unable to direct their civic energy toward lawmakers who actually create immigration policy.

National Civics Scores Expose Educational Failure

National Assessment of Educational Progress data confirms Lyakhov’s concerns, showing only 22 percent of eighth graders reached proficiency in civics between 2018 and 2022, with one-third scoring below basic levels. Annenberg survey results demonstrate that fewer than half of Americans can name all three branches of government, a foundational requirement for informed citizenship. Fewer than half of U.S. states mandate standalone civics courses for graduation, contributing to a generation that international peers in Europe and Canada consistently outperform in civic knowledge. This systemic failure creates citizens who vote and protest without understanding the constitutional mechanisms that govern their lives, undermining the republic’s ability to function as the Founders intended.

Schools Avoid Debate to Dodge Controversy

Public school administrators increasingly replace structured political debate with activism-as-education, fearing backlash from polarized communities on topics like immigration enforcement. Lyakhov documents how teachers compress civics into generic social studies classes, prioritizing tested subjects over constitutional education while celebrating student walkouts as civic engagement. This approach abandons the Founders’ vision of informed citizens capable of reasoned debate, instead fostering social media echo chambers where viral posts replace classroom instruction. The columnist, who has appeared on Fox News discussing fears of reprisal for his pro-Trump views, argues schools must mandate rigorous civics courses, encourage controversial debates, and stop stifling political viewpoints through institutional avoidance of challenging topics that students need to understand.

Charter Schools Offer Constitutional Literacy Alternative

Research from Stanford’s CREDO Institute shows charter schools outperforming traditional public schools in civics and academic achievement, providing a model for constitutional education that prioritizes knowledge over activism. Lyakhov advocates for expanded school choice, positioning it as a civil-rights issue for families seeking institutions that teach government structures before encouraging protests. The decline in civics proficiency carries long-term consequences for American democracy—graduates who cannot distinguish between executive agencies and legislative bodies will struggle to participate effectively in governance, whether through voting, activism, or public service. Without mandatory civics exams and structured debate requirements, schools continue producing citizens equipped to march but unprepared to understand what they’re marching for, a failure that erodes the constitutional literacy essential to preserving limited government and individual liberty.