Nevada’s new high school graduation requirements

State education officials spent several years revising the requirements for graduation from high school (April 27 Review-Journal). I don’t know what those revised requirements hold, but I would certainly like to hope they include some basic knowledge that I think every American citizen should possess.

Surveys taken in the past few years have shown that more than one- third of those surveyed (37 percent) can’t name any of the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment. In addition, only a quarter of Americans (26 percent) can name all three branches of government.

How can Americans be responsible citizens if they don’t know much, if anything, about their own government?

In light of the current political situation, all citizens of voting age should be aware of these and many other facets of our form of government. So a basic knowledge of these things should be a requirement for graduation from high school in Nevada (indeed, in every state).

If civics education is not part of the new requirements, then the whole revision is nothing but a waste of time.