The Political Attitudes of High School Students in Private Schools: A Study of the Political Socialization in Sacred Heart Academy of Novaliches

Abstract

The study is on the subject of political socialization of the high school students of the Sacred Heart Academy of Novaliches, a private, nonsectarian school in Quezon City. This study presents, among others, the significance of the role of the youth in our society. The emphasis on youth studies may provide a brief preview of what these young individuals would be like as adult citizens of the Philippines, and ultimately, as the future of the country. This research focused on how the students in Sacred Heart Academy develop political attitudes and what factors contribute to this development. Students of Sacred Heart Academy have a high level of political efficacy, which may contribute greatly to their being politically participative in the future. There is also a small number of politically cynical students who, in this early stage of their life, feel that there is already enough negativity with regard to Philippine politics that there is nothing else that could be done to improve the situation. The study identified the socializing agents most common to the development of political attitudes of the students. There is the school, the family, friends, religion, and the media. Although, most students were generally politically efficacious, the lack of channels wherein they could exercise voicing out their opinions and put into effect their political will, such as the school paper, the student council, and organizations that would further enhance their ability to gain knowledge with regard to empowering themselves, proved to be a big contributor to them being seen as "passive”. This could be detrimental to their possible level of political participation in the future, so the study presented suggestions that could make a difference with regard to the matter.