It is not enough to explain democratic principles to young people: adults have to model how to have respectful discussions, resolve conflicts and take others seriously. A major risk is that young people take a step back and do not engage because they feel they are not being heard and have no influence on their future.
The first feedback from the recent Democracy Week in secondary schools, primary schools and afterschool clubs has been positive, says Michèle Schilt, director of the Centre for Political Education (ZpB). The event, organised by the ZpB in collaboration with CEPAS and the Plomm Children's Museum in Wiltz, has been very well received. However, the final feedback and figures will only be available after the half term holiday.
"It's really a question of how you approach the matter. I don't know if democracy is such an attractive topic for all adults", says Schilt. It's also not true that young people are fundamentally not interested in politics or democracy. The decisive factor is how you approach these topics.
Questions such as "What is democracy? What is politics?" are not guaranteed to pique their interest. Instead, Schilt says it would be more sensible to ask what is important to young people, what annoys them or what bothers them. From there, you would quickly get into a political discussion. As examples, she cites the ban on mobile phones in schools, dealing with social media, or the question of how young people feel at their school.
Polarisation and radicalisation on social platforms also concern young people. However, they do not always lack interest, but rather the space and time to openly discuss these issues with adults.
The ZpB is regularly confronted with problematic statements in its workshops. In school, people speak no differently than in the rest of society, says Schilt. However, school should be a safe space in which such discussions can be held.
The clear guideline is that "every person has worth". If a statement violates this principle, Schilt says one should draw attention to the boundary that has been crossed. At the same time, dialogue must be kept open. Anyone who immediately reacts too harshly risks that the young person will no longer engage with them.
Schilt warns against assuming that some young people are not interested in politics at all. She says she has great confidence in children and young people, and that it is the task of adults to find the right way to engage with them. Schools play a central role in this, because they can reach all children and young people, even those who have little contact with politics at home. In order to be able to take on this role, teachers and other adults need to be appropriately supported and prepared.
Ten years after the ZpB was founded, the social context has changed significantly. The Centre must adapt to new developments without losing sight of the fundamental pillars of its work. Social media and artificial intelligence bring new challenges, but "the fundamental questions: Who am I? What do I want? How can we live well together? These are pretty analogous questions", says Schilt.
The ZpB has to also be active on social media and consider how to convey content in a short and understandable way. However, personal conversations with children and young people continue to play an essential role.
Since its founding, the Centre has grown from one and a half full-time positions to around 20 full-time positions, but there is still room for growth.
The Centre works with partners such as BEE SECURE in providing media education, to teach people how the internet, algorithms and AI work. The Centre primarily introduces a political dimension: What do these technologies mean for democracy and coexistence?
But even a significantly larger team is unable to be personally present with every young person. In order to reach as many young people as possible, the Centre relies on teachers and other people from the education and upbringing sector as so-called "multipliers".
Dealing with fake news is not just a challenge for young people. Schilt explains that people over 45 share fake news the most, online. Reaching adults, however, is more difficult because their participation is voluntary. The Centre therefore relies on partnerships with organisations that already work with adults, and on online offerings. Media and press outlets also have an important role to play.
Schilt makes it clear that the ZpB does not take a position on lowering the right to vote to the age of 16. However, the discussions on this issue are important. Political maturity does not develop from one day to the next just because someone turns 18.
Above all, we need to talk to young people, because it concerns their future. Worries about jobs, income, the length of their working lives, or housing are real. If young people feel like they're not being listened to, they risk giving up. We also need to think about how to give them more say.
For the next ten years, Schilt hopes above all that every teacher will be aware of their role in democratic education. Children will come into contact with the government every day from the age of three, notably through the person who teaches them at school.
Adults should model how to treat each other with respect and how to handle an argument. This does not mean allowing everything or setting no boundaries. However, children and young people should be taken seriously and experience what it is like to have their opinions count.
Schilt does not consider an additional independent school subject necessary. She welcomes the fact that political education is anchored in the new curriculum in primary schools as a transversal subject area. Democracy education could also take place in maths lessons, through the attitude of the teacher and the interaction in the classroom. But:
"You can't demand that they take responsibility at some point if you never give it to them. That means we can't suddenly press a button and say: That's it, now you're responsible, now you're a citizen. And before that you tell them: Keep your mouth shut, because I have the say here and not you."Michèle Schilt, deputy director of the ZpB
