Shinique Walters | From classroom to ballot box

With the election scheduled for this year, the right to vote remains both a civic responsibility and a cornerstone of democracy. However, voter apathy persists as a significant concern, particularly among young adults in Jamaica’s national elections.

Voter turnout among Jamaican youth has steadily declined since 1980, mirroring broader trends of political disengagement. In the 1980s, eighty-seven per cent of eligible citizens participated in elections, but by 2011, only 32.4 per cent of voters aged 18–24 cast their ballots.

By 2020, youth participation reached a historic low, plummeting to just 12.1 per cent. This decline reflects growing political disillusionment and disconnection among young Jamaicans, driven by factors such as distrust in political institutions, feelings of powerlessness, and insufficient civic education. As a result, young people have become the demographic least likely to vote, highlighting the urgent need for early and sustained political engagement initiatives to counteract this trend.

MAIN CAUSE OF VOTER APATHY

As previously noted, several factors contribute to political disenchantment in Jamaica, including low civic awareness and a limited understanding of democratic processes. Many Jamaicans reach adulthood without learning how their government functions, what their rights entail, or how to critically evaluate political choices. By the time they become eligible to vote, their detachment from politics is often deeply ingrained.

To address this gap, targeting youth through schools — a key agent of socialisation — is essential. While some secondary schools incorporate civic education via subjects like social studies or Caribbean Studies, public education largely neglects this at the primary level, where foundational values, habits, and attitudes take shape. Strengthening civic instruction early could foster lifelong political engagement and reverse declining participation trends.

PRIMARY VERSUS PREPARATORY SCHOOLS

Primary schools serve as crucial foundations for developing political engagement. More than just academic institutions, they are vital spaces where children cultivate their identity, learn citizenship values, and begin assuming community responsibilities. Introducing civic education at this stage should not involve partisan politics (like favouring the JLP or PNP), but rather focus on fundamental democratic principles: fair leadership, effective governance, collective decision-making, and constructive community participation.

Several Jamaican preparatory schools have partnered with the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) to implement structured student elections, establishing authentic voting practices for selecting school leaders. These initiatives serve dual purposes: they help identify capable student representatives while giving participants practical insight into electoral processes. Supported by national electoral authorities, these school-based elections effectively instil democratic values and foster civic engagement from childhood.

This approach aligns with global best practices. Canada’s Student Vote programme, administered through Elections Canada, enables students to conduct parallel elections during actual voting periods. Similarly, the UK, South Africa, New Zealand (through its Kids Voting Programme), and the United States (via Kids Voting USA) have successfully integrated mock elections into their education systems. Such programmes not only familiarise students with democratic processes but also cultivate leadership skills and voting awareness. By providing early, hands-on experience with elections, these initiatives help combat long-term voter apathy while developing more politically engaged future citizens.

USING CURRICULUM TO ENCOURAGE VOTING

While these activities are important, we also need to build on political education, especially through the curriculum, which can be achieved by utilising the skill sets of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, the Electoral Office of Jamaica, and several civil society organisations. The curriculum that could be introduced could look at: 1. Building on your understanding of democracy by teaching children the needs of what is expected for good governance and the rights and responsibilities of the government, 2. Critical thinking and debating by understanding the requirements of respectful debates and collaboration, 3. Build on the community and leadership. Helping students better understand the role of community in decision-making and develop strong electoral literacy, where they are encouraged to understand the importance of voting, representation, and elections through simulation and games. This can further be complemented by teacher training and by embedding civic and electoral education in textbooks.

GENERATION OF CRITICAL THINKERS

Political disengagement stems not from innate human behaviour but from learned experiences – a result of limited civic education and conscious choices about participation. To address this, Jamaica must reimagine political education by redefining its starting point and engaging key stakeholders in revitalising voter participation. By transforming how and where political education begins, we can develop lasting solutions to combat voter apathy. For younger generations to truly value democracy, they must be taught from an early age to critically evaluate political agendas, understand their voting power, and engage in meaningful political discourse. This comprehensive approach will create a culture where youth are not only motivated to vote but also equipped to actively shape Jamaica’s democratic future through informed participation and ongoing civic dialogue.

Primary and preparatory schools serve as powerful yet underutilised incubators for democratic values. To secure the future of Jamaican democracy, we must recognise classrooms as the foundational constituency for cultivating political awareness. This approach offers our best hope for reversing voter apathy and building a nation where every citizen is empowered to participate meaningfully in Jamaica’s democratic development.

Dr Shinique Walters is a lecturer in the Department of Government and research fellow at the Centre for Leadership and Government at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Send feedback to shiniquewalters@gmail.com.