On 22 November 2010 results of the IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS)have been released.  The largest international study ever conducted on civic education in secondary schools in 2008–2009 tested over 140,000 lower secondary students from 5,300 schools in 38 countries, and collected data from over 62,000 teachers, as well as from school principals and national research coordinators, with the aims to answer some critical questions about how young people are being prepared to undertake their future roles as citizens. In addition, over 75,000 students from 3,000 schools in 24 European countries took part in a European module which assessed students’ knowledge about the European Union and attitudes toward EU-related policies and issues such as citizenship, European identity, and freedom of movement.

Overwhelming majority of students support basic democratic values, gender equality, and equal rights for ethnic or racial groups and immigrants, as well as the freedom of movement of citizens within Europe. However, there were also substantial minorities of students that had rather negative attitudes toward equal opportunities and freedom of movement. Many students expect to vote, but not to join a political party or to take an active role in politics as adults.

Students from majority of the 24 European countries can be found among high-achievers, European students also show good basic knowledge about the European Union. The fact that students in such varied cultures and environments scored at similar high levels suggests that formal education plays a very important role and adds significantly to what students learn from living in their society. However, the study has revealed notable differences between students in their level of civic knowledge, with significant gaps between ‘high’ and ‘low’ achievers and between males and females, as well as a decline in ‘civic content knowledge’ in seven countries from 15 countries that participated in the IEA Civic Education Study (CIVED) of 1999. The international reports noted some differences in students’ knowledge and attitudes related to macroeconomic issues and their family backgrounds; however the results were not analyzed from the point of the type of community, e.g. urban vs. rural.

The aim of the symposia invited by the SERS (Slovak Educational Research Society) is to focus on differences as well as unifying characteristics among urban and rural students on the bases of the ICCS data within the Central and Eastern European Region. The countries in the focus of the symposia are Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Serbia. The CEE countries, as well as countries all over the world are facing enormous challenges in preparing their young people to take an active part in their society in the 21^st century. Every country is trying to answer some critical questions: what do its students need to learn to prepare them for the social and political life in their countries and to create a more coherent society, in Europe, and in the world – as well as how to develop their competencies of good citizens?