Electoral Commission hosts Schools Democracy Week, 20 to 27 Apr

Taking democracy to the class room

The young people of South Africa will celebrate 21 years of electoral democracy during the annual Schools Democracy Week (SDW) from 20 to 27 April 2015. It is a joint project between the Electoral Commission and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to educate young people about democracy and will roll out in schools throughout South Africa.

The aim of the Schools Democracy Week Programme is to educate learners on democratic values and electoral processes. The Schools Democracy Week seeks to encourage, educate and empower learners to understand and participate in the democratic processes of the country and ultimately contribute to the deepening constitutional democracy. The Schools Democracy Week is a critical component of the Schools Democracy Programme, as it has the specific intention to increase youth participation in electoral democracy and to institutionalise electoral democracy content into the curriculum. The first Schools Democracy Week was held in 2013.

The activities below are some of the number of things that learners across South Africa will do during the week:

Co-curricular Activities

Debates; Presentations/Demonstrations; Olympiads, Readerthon

Extra-Curricular Activities

Roundtables; Presentations/Demonstrations; Mock Elections; Role Plays

Extra Mural Activities

Democracy Artwork; Democrazy – a democracy education board game

Participating schools will be supplied with the materials below to enhance their electoral democracy knowledge. Some of the material is also be available on the Electoral Commission’s website.

1. Voting station layout posters per school;

2. Not too Young booklet for the General Education & Training Band;

3. Becoming a good Citizen booklet  for the Further Education & Training Band;

4. How to Register to Vote for Youth pamphlets

5. Dummy ballot papers

6. Voting booths

7. Ballot boxes

The two booklets, Not too Young and Becoming a good Citizen, are also available in Braille.

For media queries: Please contact Kate Bapela on 082 600 6386

For media interviews: Please email requests to spokesperson@elections.org.za

Arrangements for provincial launches and school visits

Please find below the contact details for the Electoral Commission’s communication officials in the nine provinces. They will be able to provide information on the arrangements for the launch in their province as well as for school visits during SDW to do presentations, mock elections or plays, voter registration or pamphlet dropping.