OFF THE BEATEN PATH

*“Democracy is only as good as the education that surrounds it.” – Socrates*
Voter education is something I and many others believe to be very important in strengthening our democratic institutions. The goal of integrating it in the educational system has been an elusive dream that has, to this date, not yet been fully achieved. Until now.
I previously wrote about the Comelec National Election Summit held last March 8-10, 2023 in Pasay City. There were several sessions conducted and one of the most interesting was “Pagtutulungan sa Makabagong Halalan: Kaalaman sa Halalan, Isama sa Edukasyon ng Kabataan.” It showcased the joint project of Comelec Region 5, headed by Dir. Jane Valleza and DepEd Region 5 headed by Dir. Gilbert Sadsad, where voter education was integrated in the DepEd curriculum in the province of Catanduanes. Initiated in 2018, it was overseen by DepEd SDO Catanduanes headed by Dr. Susan Collano and Comelec Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Neil Canicula.
The main objective is to incorporate voter education into the K-12 Curriculum, then eventually, the Tertiary Education, and the National Service Training Program (NSTP). By integrating voter education into the mainstream educational system, students will be given equal and easy access to accurate and timely information on the electoral processes, be it elective posts and mandates, platforms and other important issues. One would be surprised to find out that while elections seem to be akin to national sports in terms of interest, persona-driven propaganda and vitriol-laced debates, an honest to goodness voter education campaign remains tenuous. The interest and engagement are at best, seasonal, often forgotten once winners have been proclaimed and the schools, back to their normal operations.
It is therefore an absolute must that we support efforts to further boost voter education because it is inextricably linked to their study of Sibika and Araling Panlipunan. The study of democratic values fosters civic engagement among the citizenry, especially among today’s outspoken and highly opinionated young netizens. By integrating voter education into the curriculum, we are recognizing that voter education is a significant requisite in the effective functioning of democratic institutions.
Case in point. When students elect their own class presidents and officers. There is inherent power in their vote, whether they realize it or not. The rationale of their choices, say, friendship, popularity or platform, parallel the very reasons why we, as adults vote for a particular candidate.
It is never too early to be a wise and empowered voter. Starting inside the classroom. Off The Beat: Last weekend I did a short mix of some club tunes. You can listen to the mix by clicking this link:[https://www.mixcloud.com/goyolarrazabal/music-with-a-heart-230323-philippines/](https://www.mixcloud.com/goyolarrazabal/music-with-a-heart-230323-philippines/) Playlist: 1. Love’s Theme, 2. Starlight, 3. Don’t Cry For Me, 4. Is it Love?, Makes Me Love You.