Parliament and You - Teaching democracy practically

“Parliament is really the place where democracy can be seen in action.” 

Those words from the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, at the launch of “Parliament and You” last week cut through the cynicism that often surrounds politics in Ghana. He was right.

In the Executive, the government is either fully National Democratic Congress (NDC) or fully the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

In Parliament, by constitutional design, different parties, different voices, and different opinions must sit, debate and decide together.

That is democracy made visible.

The launch of “Parliament and You”, a partnership between Parliament and Junior Graphic, is, therefore, more than a media project.

It is an investment in Ghana’s democratic future.

Through weekly, child-friendly articles, stories, quizzes, puzzles, illustrations and competitions, the series will break down parliamentary concepts for 50,000 young readers aged 10 to 17.

The goal is simple but powerful: make Parliament understandable, so that young Ghanaians can appreciate it, defend it and use it.

Democracy is not self-sustaining. It must be taught, practised and defended.

Mr Ayariga’s call for Ghanaians, especially the youth, to “stand by Parliament and other organs of democracy” comes at a time when trust in institutions is under strain across the world. 

When young people see Parliament only through clips of chaos or partisan shouting, they disengage.

When they do not understand how a bill becomes law, why minority views matter, or how debate improves legislation, they assume democracy does not work.

But democracy does work — when opposing perspectives are heard and factored into decisions.

As the Majority Leader put it: “The idea of democracy is that let them say whatever they want to say.

When you finish, you put the matter to a vote”. 

More importantly, parliamentary deliberations often improve proposed measures because members are willing to accept worthwhile suggestions regardless of where they originate.

That is the part citizens rarely see, but it is the part that makes laws better and governance fairer.

The beauty of this initiative is its method. It does not lecture. It engages.

Quizzes, puzzles, stories and competitions turn abstract ideas like “oversight”, “committee”, and “motion” into concepts children can grasp and enjoy.

When a 12-year-old can explain why Parliament needs both Majority and Minority, that child is less likely to accept the idea that “one party should control everything”.

Mr Ayariga’s personal donation of GH¢200,000 to support the partnership is commendable.

But money alone will not do it. Sustained commitment from Parliament, teachers, parents, and the media will.

Mr Ayariga’s encouragement for students to visit Parliament and observe proceedings should become policy. School visits, student “sitting-in” days, and live broadcasts of proceedings with youth-friendly commentary can make Parliament a living classroom.

Other countries have thriving “model parliament” clubs in schools. Ghanaian students can do the same.

When children role-play as MPs, they learn compromise, research and public speaking, skills democracy depends on.

“Parliament and You” should be the start, not the end. The curriculum must give more space to practical civics: how local assemblies work, how to petition Parliament, how laws affect daily life. Essay competitions and debates on parliamentary themes should be funded and celebrated nationally.

An informed citizenry is the best defence against demagoguery and disinformation.

Parliament must match this education drive with conduct that inspires confidence.

When citizens see robust debate without violence, accountability without persecution, and laws passed in the national interest, the lessons in Junior Graphic will stick.

When they see the opposite, no publication can repair the damage.

Mr Ayariga’s point that democracy thrives on freely expressed and factored opinions must be reflected in how Parliament operates daily.

Ghana’s democracy is 33 years old under the 1992 Constitution.

It has survived coups, contested elections and power alternations.

That is an achievement.

But survival is not the same as deepening.

Deepening democracy means every Ghanaian, from Accra to Zebilla, from age 10 to 100, understands their role in it.

The “Parliament and You” series recognises a hard truth: if we do not teach children how democracy works, someone else will teach them that it does not. Social media will.

Frustration will. Autocracy will.

It is true to that Parliament is where democracy can be seen in action.

Let Parliament and You ensure that democracy can also be understood by those who will inherit it. 

That is how we defend the institution. Not just with speeches, but with knowledge.