Clamorous Students Participate in Government — by Suing It

Students in Rhode Island are asking a federal appeals court to affirm that public school students have a constitutional right to a civics education. They're asking the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston to reverse a lower court’s dismissal and declare there is such a right. Oral arguments will be heard Monday. The students feel they aren’t taught how to participate in a democratic and civil society. And they say the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was a symptom of such ignorance. The defendants include Rhode Island’s governor and education commissioner. They say there’s no fundamental right to education under the Constitution.