Weeks ago, in the lead-up to the Canadian election, I cast my first vote in a federal election. I did so by mail from Vienna, Austria. I did so with a deeper understanding of Canada’s parliamentary system than many of my peers back home. But it wasn’t because of school. It was in spite of it.
Civics education in Canada is treated like a box to tick — it’s light, forgettable and mostly irrelevant. For a country that prides itself on liberal democracy, this is not just an oversight. It’s a disservice.
In most provinces, civics is taught once, briefly, somewhere in Grade 10 or 11. The curriculum often focuses on simplistic definitions — what a prime minister is, the difference between a law and a regulation, how a bill becomes an act. Students may leave knowing how many seats are in the House of Commons, yet have no idea what a confidence vote means or why the Governor General matters.
Compare this to my own path. I began learning about politics seriously at home. My parents believed in the value of knowing how our country works, and they challenged me to think critically about it. I learned about Parliament, but also about precedent. About how legislation is drafted, interpreted and sometimes abused. I learned about the Charter — not just what it promises, but what it limits. My understanding grew not in a classroom, but through spirited dinnertime debates, political biographies, and the raw material of primary sources.
Later, this passion carried me into reading political theory, studying the evolution of political institutions, and contrasting Canadian governance with systems abroad. Now, as a Canadian studying in Europe, I see how Canada’s civics education fails to prepare young citizens for the real world of democratic participation.
In Austria, where I currently live, political education is built into multiple stages of schooling. Students learn the ideological underpinnings of governance systems. They explore both local governance and supranational structures like the European Union. More importantly, they’re encouraged to form arguments, question institutions, and even simulate legislative debates. The aim isn’t rote memorization — it’s political literacy.
What we need in Canada is a civics program that does the same. Not just one mandatory course buried in high school, but a multi-stage curriculum that builds as students grow.
In elementary school, teach the basics of responsibility and community. In middle school, introduce the Constitution, the Charter and federalism. In high school, go deeper: What do different parties stand for? How does case law influence governance? What happens when rights conflict?
The goal isn’t to produce partisans — it’s to produce participants. People who can vote, not just because they turned 18, but because they understand what’s at stake.
And make no mistake — there’s a lot at stake. A generation raised without civic literacy is vulnerable to manipulation, apathy and political extremism. When young people don’t understand the tools of democracy, they either disengage from the system or seek to destroy it. Both are dangerous.
We can no longer afford to treat civics like a side subject. It should be as central as math or science — because in a democracy, governance is not a spectator sport.
There’s precedent for this kind of change. The Canadian Parliamentary Review, a journal focused on the inner workings and history of Parliament, has long published research and advocated for stronger civics programs in schools across the nation.
Nonprofits like CIVIX have proven that even short-term election simulations such as Student Vote can significantly boost engagement. Provinces have the constitutional jurisdiction to overhaul civic education. What’s lacking isn’t permission — it’s political will.
I’m not writing this as an academic or a politician. I’m writing this as a 22-year-old who left Canada to study abroad, but never stopped caring about where I came from. I’ve seen the cost of weak civics education, and I’ve experienced the benefits of strong political training. We need to do better — not just for future voters, but for the future of our democracy.
Because democracy doesn’t defend itself. Citizens do.
