Effects of Civic Education on Youth Participation in the Tenets of a Democratic Society: A Case of Youths in Four Rural Wards of Bahati Constituency in Mansa District of Luapula Province

The benefit society. The benefits of citizen participation are capacity building, learning, raising awareness and increasing understanding of public institutions and the way they work, enabling citizens to better access the services they need, and to understand the boundaries and limitations of different public bodies, building confidence and optimism among citizens. Therefore, involvement of citizens in governance and political process is an essential part of democracy and increased citizen participation in governance can only be enhanced through civic education. In enhancing this, Universities, schools, civil Civic leaders and state agencies should partner Government conducting civic to increase public governance by educating citizens from all walks of life on the importance of participating all aspects of a democratic society, Myers (2007). Abstract: Civic education helps citizens to understand ideas about citizenship, politics and government as all citizens need knowledge to make decisions about policy choices and proper choices of representatives. Citizens need to participate in governance through voting, volunteering, participating in other activities that benefit society. It is also important to state that civic learning experiences to education is the process of creating awareness and provision of information and equip and empower citizens to participate positively in the democratic processes of their community, country and the outside world. Thus, the study aimed at assessing the effects of civic education on youth participation in the tenets of a democratic society in the four rural ward of Bahati Constituency of Mansa district in Luapula Province of Zambia. The study employed both the qualitative and quantitative methods and a descriptive survey design that sampled Head teachers, teachers, NGO officials, Council chairperson, councilors, community members and the youth. Data was obtained from the respondents by means of interviews and questionnaires. Frequency, percentages, tables, graphs and pie-charts were used to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data. Data was then analyzed by the use of software MS access and MS Excel. The findings reviewed that civic education plays an important role in promoting youth and other citizens’ involvement in all aspects of a democratic society, it is also a tool in promoting democracy and the study recommended that learners in schools should participate in governance of their classrooms, schools and be engaged in service and project based learning and NGOs and other stake holders to promote civic education in rural areas.