A section of Ghanaian youth have called for a shift from theoretical civic education to more practical, action-oriented approaches that empower them to engage actively in the country’s democratic and development processes.
This appeal was made in a survey conducted by youth citizen journalists trained by the Youth Bridge Foundation (YBF) under the Citizen Journalism Project, a Czech Republic sponsored program. The survey engaged about 107 youth across the Northern and Ashanti regions in Ghana, most of whom are between 15 and 25 years. The findings reveal that while 28% of young people could readily identify basic civic rights such as voting, free speech, and education, about only 10% could recognise equity-based rights like access to healthcare.
Schools, media and language gaps
Schools were identified as the primary source of civic knowledge (38.1%), followed by media and peer learning. However, young respondents said classroom lessons are often overly theoretical and disconnected from real-life governance processes. They proposed translating civic content into local languages, making greater use of TV, radio and social media, and emphasising hands-on learning.
“We need civic education that reflects our realities, not just textbook definitions,” another youth explained. “It should show us how to hold leaders accountable, how to organize in our communities, and how to make our voices count.”
Relevance of the project
The Citizen Journalism Project, now in its third year, was initiated by YBF and the Czech Embassy to promote responsible youth-led storytelling and civic engagement. By training youth to report on development issues and misinformation, the project seeks to bridge the gap between knowledge and civic action.
“Young people, are adopting innovative ways of telling stories, so for us at the Foundation, it is important that they tell the right stories and they do so responsibly. This year, we’re taking a special focus on how they can tell stories and advance civic education within their communities and among their peers. We recognise that with young people making up about 38% of Ghana’s population, strengthening civic literacy is not just an educational need, it’s a democratic necessity,” said the Foundation.
—