Delivering democratic education in Northern Ireland | Secondary school

Why the Democratic Engagement Framework matters in secondary settings in Northern Ireland

There are significant opportunities to align the Democratic Education Framework with the Northern Ireland Curriculum across Key Stages 3-5. The framework complements Learning for Life and Work (LLW), particularly Local and Global Citizenship, while also supporting learning in History, English, Religious Education, Politics, Geography and Digital Technology. Schools can use the framework to strengthen democratic education through lessons, tutor time, assemblies, school councils and enrichment activities.

Northern Ireland's unique political context provides rich opportunities for learning. Learners can explore the roles of local councils, the Northern Ireland Assembly, MLAs, MPs and councillors, as well as issues relating to equality, human rights, community relations and active citizenship.

The framework supports progression across Key Stages 3-5, helping learners build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for democratic participation. Real-world events, particularly elections and public consultations, provide authentic opportunities for discussion and engagement, especially for learners approaching voting age.

Teachers will be supported by the Framework's high-quality, politically impartial resources, which provide a strong foundation for facilitating balanced discussions, developing critical thinking skills and encouraging informed civic participation.

My approach

To support effective democratic education, teachers should draw on impartial and trusted resources that present a range of viewpoints, encourage critical thinking and help learners engage confidently with complex political and civic issues.

This should include exposing learners to alternative views and opinions which they may never have been exposed to outside of the classroom. Teachers should encourage reflection on how they view others, challenge them to think why ‘others’ in society hold different views and build respect for ‘them’. Whilst it may be difficult for teachers to leave their own political opinions and experiences outside of the classroom, it will support learners with opening their minds and nurturing the next generation of young people to be empowered and confident in who they are while respecting and understanding differences in a democratic society.

What to prioritise: 

• Build critical thinking. Learners need to be able to think critically as they move into democratic society. This applies to the media they consume and their interactions with politicians and policies.
• Consider multiple perspectives. This should include exposing learners to alternative views and opinions. Teachers should encourage reflection on how they view others, challenge them to think why ‘others’ in society hold different views and build respect for ‘them’.
• Connect politics to the everyday lives of learners. Everyday day decisions are made on local and national levels that directly affect the lives of learners. Use the lived experiences and priorities of learners to make politics relevant and tangible.
• Provide learners authentic opportunities to practice the skills of democratic citizenship. Have them participate in debates and deliberations, simulate the process of government through mock elections or committee hearings, and meet with politicians or decision-makers.
• Build confidence and familiarity with politics. Demystify the political process and political conversations by giving learners structured and safe opportunities to engage in robust and respectful dialogue. Allow learners to take risks, but provide consistent support and impartial facilitation.
• Register eligible voters. Helping to guide young people through the registration process can happen in one session and ensures they meet the basic requirement for participation.
• Utilize/capitalise on/ current events: Big political moments and national and international events are an excellent opportunity to naturally bring politics into the classroom. Use moments of high attention to build democratic knowledge.
• Focus on issues that matter to learners. Begin by assessing and exploring the issues that matter most to learners. Then, expand to more issues while building understanding and interest.
• Create real opportunities for learner voice. School councils are an excellent way to show democracy in action. They also tend to include only the most engaged learners. Find additional ways to involve learners in decision making processes with real action and consequences.  

If you can only do one thing…

Ensure learners understand that they live in a democratic society that is built on participation. Engagement can be varied, voting, participating in petitions or consultations, or actively working to create change in your community or across the UK. However learners choose to participate they should have the knowledge and confidence to be full members of democratic life.

Where this fits into the curriculum

The Democratic Education Framework is designed to support cross-curricular implementation of high quality democratic education. This work can be accomplished by both specialists and non-specialist teachers.

• Learning for Life and Work: Citizenship, participation, rights, responsibilities and active citizenship. Related strand: Navigate, understand, take part, engage, experience, influence. 
• Local and Global Citizenship: Democracy and Active Participation, Human Rights and Social Responsibility, Diversity and Inclusion. Related strands: Understand, engage, experience, influence.
• English: Evaluating arguments, debate, media literacy and persuasive communication. Related strands: Navigate, experience, influence.
• History: Development of democracy, suffrage, social and political change. Related strands: Understand, influence.
• Geography: Local and global issues, citizenship, sustainability and participation. Related strands: Navigate, understand, influence.
• Religious Education: Ethics, justice, diversity, values and respectful dialogue. Related strands: Experience, influence.
• Digital Technology: Algorithms, misinformation, online participation and digital literacy. Related strand: Navigate.
• Mathematics: Polling data, statistics, surveys and interpreting evidence. Related strands: Navigate, take part.
• The Arts and Drama:Public speaking, empathy, campaigning and exploring multiple perspectives. Related strands: Experience, influence.
• Shared Education: Dialogue across difference, identity, participation and active citizenship. Related strands: Engage, experience, influence.
• Year group assemblies also present opportunities for further learning as guest speakers such as local elected representatives could be invited to a Q&A with learners.

Rather than creating an additional curriculum demand, the framework provides a coherent structure that helps schools connect existing priorities around critical thinking, communication, youth voice, participation, citizenship and active engagement in society.

Key resources

Make sure to check out the Electoral Commission’s Welcome To Your Vote Week. This is a yearly event, usually in March, where young people are encouraged to learn about, and get involved in, democracy in the UK.

In the lead up to, and during, this week, the Electoral Commission promotes and shares a range of learning resources, activities and programmes to engage young people in democracy. These are available year-round, but the week itself is a good focus point in the year to spotlight learning about voting and elections.

Navigate:

• Navigating mis and disinformation: mini lessons, The Electoral Commission and Shout Out UK - This lesson explores misinformation, disinformation and democracy in Northern Ireland. Learners critically evaluate information and examine the importance of informed democratic participation.

Understand:

• Northern Ireland single transferable vote video, The Electoral Commission - This short video explains the voting system used in Northern Ireland.
• Conversation starters about democracy, The Electoral Commission - Short, activities to get young people talking about democracy, elections, and voting. Ideal for lesson starters, tutor time, or youth group sessions.
• Introduction to democracy, Young Citizens - Key Stage 3 learners are introduced to the principles of democracy and how democratic systems operate in the UK. Across four lessons, learners explore what democracy is, how voting and general elections work, the roles of local and central government, and the purpose of political parties.
• Who decides what? Northern Ireland Assembly Education Services - An interactive activity where learners explore whether MLAs, MPs or Councillors are responsible for the decisions that affect daily life.
• How a law is made, Northern Ireland Assembly Education Services : Resource exploring ‘How a law is made’ which explores why we need laws, how a law is made in the Assembly and the importance of decision-making.

Take Part:

• Getting involved in democracy in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Youth Forum - This group of videos explains key aspects of democratic participation for young people in Northern Ireland. Produced by the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, the four short films cover why voting matters, registering to vote, voting for the first time, and getting involved in democracy more broadly.
• Elections in your area, The Electoral Commission – Learners explore upcoming elections in their local area, identify what the election is for, who they can vote for, where they would vote and what they need to participate. This can be paired with the above resources.
• Understanding voting assembly, The Electoral Commission - This assembly presentation introduces young people to politics, democracy and elections in Northern Ireland. Learners explore why democracy matters, how elections work and the importance of participating in democratic life through an interactive assembly. This lesson can be delivered as part of the Welcome to Your Vote scheme of work, as a standalone session or during an off-timetable or drop-down day.
• Hosting a voter registration drive, The Electoral Commission - This guide covers how to hold a voter registration drive for students, to help schools in Northern Ireland increase student voter registration. It walks through guidance on ensuring registration drives are impartial and non-political.

Engage:

• TheyWorkForYou, mySociety - Have learners look up who represented them in the Northern Ireland Assembly.  This can then lead to further research about that person, their policies, and their voting history.
• How to start a petition, UK Parliament - Use this video to introduce learners to the process of creating a petition.  Then have them explore active petitions to better understand what petitions look like and what is included.
• How to research a politician, The Politics Project. Before meeting with a politician or decision maker it is essential for learners to understand who they are meeting with. This resource is a primer about how to begin the process of researching a politician.
• Hustings guidance, The Electoral Commission - Plan and facilitate either a meeting with a local MP or MLA, or plan a hustings. If you are not able to host your own hustings you can also find hustings that are hosted by charities that young people are able to attend.

Experience:

• Votes at 16: Short lesson, VotesForSchools - This resource aims to ensure that young people understand the purpose of voting, the differences in the voting age across the UK, and some of the reasons given in favour and against lowering the age of enfranchisement. It encourages learners to reflect on whether they feel ready to vote, whether they would like to vote, and what they might like to learn before they are able to vote.
• Debating - secondary resource pack, UK Parliament - Following the above, allow learners to discuss/debate key human rights they have learnt about. Use this pack to assist. If learners are struggling to come up with their own examples, the pack provides some debate topics, which learners can argue for/against, linking back to human rights to support their arguments.
• Run an issues based vote, The Electoral Commission - This lesson covers how to run a meaningful issue-based vote in your school, tailored for schools in Northern Ireland. Students will decide on an issue important to them, campaign and advocate for their chosen issue, then take part in a vote. This lesson can be delivered in one or across a number of lessons.

Influence:

• FixMyStreet, mySociety - This website allows learners to see what issues other members of their communities have identified. They can also submit their own issues that they would like to see addressed. Have learners input their postcodes and explore. You could also use your institution's postcode and see what others have suggested needs improvement.
• How to create a government petition, #iWill: Use this to guide learners through the process of creating a petition.

Considerations for learners with additional needs

All learners will become members of democratic society, thus it is imperative to consider the needs of all learners when designing democratic education opportunities.

• Experiential learning. Visits to the Northern Ireland Assembly, councils and other public institutions, alongside meetings with elected representatives, can make abstract structures and roles more concrete. Where visits are not possible, virtual tours, videos and classroom simulations can provide alternative opportunities for experiential learning.
• Flexible approaches: allow learners to demonstrate understanding through discussion, presentations, visual tasks or practical activities, with additional processing time where needed.
• Build cognitive routines. Use consistent questions to support understanding, building familiarity with key concepts.
• Provide opportunities to revisit and apply knowledge. Learners may benefit from returning to the same institution or process in different contexts, rather than being expected to remember all the information after one engagement.
• Use varied resources. Use graphic organizers, images, and other visual supports to enhance learning.
• Political vocabulary. Explicitly teach vocabulary, use simple language and explanations. Use multiple examples to help learners understand context and build understanding.