Realms of citizenship education: concepts and perspectives

Citizenship Education is a subject that bothers me and should do so to all conscientised Zimbabweans. For no nation that neglects Citizenship Education expects to endure long. In other more appropriate terms, no democracy such as ours, that disregards Citizenship Education can expect to remain free and democratic. The reasons for the necessity of Citizenship Education are numerous and obvious. The fact that Zimbabwe’s political Independence is just ten years old is common knowledge. For about a century the majority of this nation could not vote; the population was then fairly homogeneous and now, Zimbabwe has rapidly become multi-cultural and non-racial. More people are eligible to vote from the eighteen-year olds to the senior citizens, and yet fewer people than eligible dare vote during national and local elections. One is inclined to assert that among other reasons advanced by potential voters, the lack of effective Citizenship Education designed to bring about awareness and knowledge of the citizens’ rights and responsibilities is responsible for such apathy.

A working paper on Citizen Education in Zimbabwe.