How Important Is Political Education? Politics is often regarded as a taboo subject in Malaysia which explains why any proposal to introduce formal political education in schools is normally struck off without much consideration given to it.
Here are some reasons why introducing political education in schools might be a good thing:
1. Political comprehension is vital
One of the most obvious benefits of political education is an improvement in political comprehension. However, most people probably do not realize how important political comprehension is. Firstly, it is very important to teach young Malaysians early in their years to be critical of the information they receive. Secondly, political issues are usually biased in nature, one must make it a practice to listen to all sides of an issue before taking a stance. Finally, they must be taught to not be too emotionally charged in political discourse. It is ok to disagree on political matters, it is not something one should lose friends and family for.
Political comprehension is especially vital considering that it is estimated that there will be an additional 3.8 Million first-time voters from the age range of 18 – 21 years old in the 15th General Election. We need to ensure that these first-time voters have an acceptable level of political comprehension before making their voting decision for the first time.
2. Inculcating patriotism and appreciation for democracy
The spirit of patriotism amongst our youth is currently at its lowest levels. Political education can potentially assist in giving them perspective on how lucky they are to be born in Malaysia. Many people live in places all around the world that do not practice democracy. They cannot select their prime minister or president unlike we do in Malaysia. Democracy may not be perfect, but it is the best political system that we have today in the 21st century and it is easy to lose sight of that sometimes.
3. Political Maturity and civic literacy
Once our youths are made aware of the heavy responsibility that they have on their shoulder as a Malaysian citizen, they will realize that each vote can have a huge impact on the country for hundred of years in the future. As such they must be made familiar with contentious political issues plaguing the country before giving them the responsibility to become voters or political players in the future.
4. Political Participation
The youth must be taught their rights to participate in political activities as protected by the federal constitution. This includes the many different ways that they can participate in politics, either as a voter, activist, member of civil society, or even participating directly by joining a political party or competing in elections for public office.
Many matured democracies introduce political education as early as high school to ensure that the youth are aware and engaged in the political process. Some of them are Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Thailand, and Indonesia. However, it must be stressed that political education should not be misused to further any political party or individual political agenda and should be neutral in nature.