Democracies worldwide are under pressure. At the same time, a young generation is discovering its political power, which requires ongoing education in democratic citizenship and human rights.
Democracy cannot be taken for granted. On the contrary, it is sustained by constant efforts to participate in, maintain and expand political rights. Schools play a vital role in these endeavours by imparting knowledge about political concepts and processes and enabling learning for and through democracy. This can be achieved in practice through class councils and pupil parliaments, as well as by enabling learners to contribute to the development of learning paths and content. Furthermore, pupils can learn to form their own fact-based opinions on controversial topics and represent these in structured debates in the protected environment of the classroom.
As political polarisation increases, an understanding of social controversies, as well as critical analysis of multi-perspective sources and negotiation of pluralistic opinions, becomes more important than ever. While discussing current controversies can link education to the present day, it is also important to raise awareness of the fact that neither democracies nor dictatorships just appear out of nowhere. Civil liberties have been (and continue to be) developed through political processes and struggle.
In light of the current authoritarian tendencies and political unrest among younger generations, it is important to emphasise that democracy requires active participation. This commitment can be expressed through demonstrations, but also by exercising rights, taking responsibility for the common good and engaging in open-minded dialogue that recognises plurality as a strength rather than a threat. The Living Democracy Team aims to support this work in the classroom as well as at home with the free teaching materials available in sixteen languages at Living Democracy.
This text summarises an interview with Nadine Ritzer, which was published on the website of the Zurich University of Teacher Education in the context of this year’s International Day of Democracy.
