The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is once again partnering with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to host the 5th annual Schools Democracy Week.
The programme is earmarked to educate young people about electoral democracy according to Boitumelo Monaki, Gauteng provincial communication officer.
The programme started on 21 April and among the selected public schools is Yeoville Boys Primary School and Athlon Girls High School.
The programme will run until 28 April a day after South Africa celebrated Freedom Day and 23 years of democracy, said Monaki.
She said the first Schools Democracy Week was initiated in 2013 following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the electoral commission and the DBE in order to address the challenges of increasing youth participation in electoral democracy.
“The collaboration between the electoral commission and the DBE is intended to support the drive to increase youth registration as well as to educate youth, in particular first-time voters on voter registration and voting.
“The long-term objective is to entrench active participation as a fundamental civic responsibility, and to institutionalise and infuse electoral democracy content into the formal school curriculum at all levels,” she said.
Staff from the electoral commission will visit the schools and lead activities which include debates, presentations, mock elections, role plays, voter registration, interactive sessions, lectures and formal lessons.
Monaki said this forms part of the commission’s constitutional and legislative mandate that of entrenching constitutional and electoral democracy in the country.
Details: www.elections.org.za
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