在最近二十年中，臺灣社會歷經宗除戒嚴、國會改革、總統直選、政黨輪替等劇烈變革，帶動了民主氣分的高漲，民狂的發展出現了無限的生機，值得慶幸；但從各方面觀察，亦發諸多令人憂心的社會現象，尤其是民眾的公民意識嚴重不足，如果任令發展將會的臺灣民主的向上提升。蓋因人民的民主素養並非與生俱來的，亦非可以一蹴可及的，必須透過學校教育及早培育。何況臺灣社會正經歷史以來最為關鍵的民主轉型期，民主公民素質的培育實乃教育的當務之急。 本文指出，實施民主公民教育必須讓學生瞭解民主的核心概念，並掌握民主公民教育的四項內涵，依此設計課程內容，進而教導學生學習作為一個民主社會成員所應具備的各種認知、技能、態度、與價值觀。此外，本文亦分析了，近年來各國所發展出的重要的民主公民教育方案或計畫，其內容與實施方式可以作為吾人規劃本土性的民主公民教育的參考。

Taiwan society has being experienced dramatically political and social change in recent twenty years. It resulted in fast development of democratic atmosphere and indicated unlimited opportunity and vitality of democratic development. But if we examined from the different angles, we would find many kinds of trouble and anxiety social phenomenon existing in the society, especially the people’s weak sense of civism. The upgrade of democracy in Taiwan society will be blocked probably, if we ignore the above situations. As a matter for fact that the public’s democratic citizenship would neither naturally develop nor came over night, it must be nurtured from all sort of educational settings. This article indicated that Democratic Education for Citizenship need to teach the student to understand the core ideas of democracy, therefore the content of curriculum might design according the four components of citizenship education present by John Patrick. It is important for civic educators to know that education for democratic citizenship must teach the student to learn civic knowledge, competence, attitudes, and values as a member of the democratic society. Further, this author also analyzes the newly developed major projects for democratic citizenship in the world. They may serve as frameworks for developing a local project for democratic education for citizenship.