Education’s Role in Strengthening Democratic Societies

Democracy is not a system that sustains itself. It demands an informed, engaged, and values-driven citizenry – and that is precisely what education is designed to create. Across the world, nations that have invested seriously in education have seen stronger democratic institutions, healthier civic cultures, and more resilient societies. Education does far more than transfer knowledge; it shapes the kind of citizens a democracy needs to survive and thrive. From upholding the right to learn, to preparing young people for a fast-changing knowledge economy, to nurturing values of peace and mutual respect – the relationship between education and democracy is deep, structural, and indispensable.

Education as a fundamental human right 🔗

The starting point for any discussion on education in a democratic society must be the recognition of education as a basic human right. As affirmed by the United Nations, every human being holds an irrevocable right to acquire knowledge and skills for a dignified and autonomous life – a right that cannot be reduced to political, economic, or religious conditions. This principle was first codified in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and has since been reinforced through numerous international treaties and conventions.

UNESCO describes education as an empowering right in itself – one of the most powerful tools through which economically and socially marginalized children and adults can lift themselves out of poverty and participate fully in society. The data bears this out: UNESCO estimates that if all adults completed secondary education globally, the number of people living in poverty could be reduced by more than half. A UN study further found that each additional year of schooling reduces the probability of infant mortality by five to ten per cent. These are not abstract ideals; they are measurable outcomes of the right to education being honoured.

For a democracy to function, this right cannot be selective. Principles of Democracy underlines that government-run schooling must be equally accessible to all citizens regardless of ethnic or religious backgrounds, gender, or physical disabilities. When education is denied or restricted to certain groups, democratic participation narrows – and democracy itself weakens.

Enlightening citizenship: preparing people for democratic life 🔗

One of education’s most direct contributions to democracy is the development of active, informed citizens. The Center for Civic Education defines citizenship in a democracy not merely as legal status, but as full and equal membership in a self-governing community – one that comes with both rights and responsibilities. Citizens must not only know their rights; they must know how to exercise them thoughtfully.

This means civic education goes well beyond teaching students about government structures and electoral processes. The Council of Europe’s framework on Education for Democratic Citizenship makes this clear: democratic citizenship is a skill, and skills must be learned. It is about learning to resolve disputes fairly, to value diversity, to engage with public issues, and to hold institutions accountable. It is, in short, about learning to live together in a free society.

Living Democracy, the Council of Europe’s educational resource platform, notes that education for democratic citizenship is not limited to civic lessons in school. It spans all forms of learning – from early childhood through adult education, vocational training, and workplace learning. Democratic citizenship, it rightly points out, covers all aspects of life in a democratic society, including sustainable development, gender equality, and the prevention of violence and extremism.

Critical thinking and informed participation 🔗

At the heart of democratic citizenship is critical thinking. The Center for Civic Education identifies intellectual and participatory skills as the second essential component of civic education. To engage meaningfully with a political issue, a citizen must understand its history, its present-day relevance, and the tools of reasoned analysis. Without these skills, participation in democracy becomes passive at best, and manipulated at worst.

International IDEA notes that a well-educated populace is the bedrock of a functioning democracy – one that equips individuals with knowledge and critical thinking skills for informed decision-making and active civic participation. Research consistently shows that individuals with higher levels of education are more likely to vote and engage in civic activities. Education, in this sense, is the silent infrastructure that holds democratic governance upright.

Education, sustainable development, and the knowledge society 🔗

Modern democracies do not operate in isolation from global challenges. Climate change, technological disruption, inequality, and resource scarcity are shared problems that require informed, collective responses. This is where the link between education and sustainable development becomes critical.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) recognises education as the key that enables many other SDGs to be achieved. Quality education helps break cycles of poverty, reduce inequalities, promote gender equality, and contribute to more peaceful and sustainable societies. SDG 4.7 specifically calls for all learners to acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development – including human rights, global citizenship, and a culture of peace and non-violence – by 2030.

Beyond the environment and social equity, education also prepares individuals for participation in the knowledge society – the contemporary reality in which information, innovation, and digital literacy are the primary drivers of economic and civic life. UNESCO’s 2023 Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development emphasises that people must be equipped with knowledge, skills, and social-emotional competencies needed for democratic decision-making, economic empowerment, and collective action at both local and global levels. A democracy whose citizens cannot navigate information critically, engage with digital platforms responsibly, or adapt to rapid change is a democracy that is structurally vulnerable.

Lifelong learning as a democratic necessity 🔗

The knowledge society demands continuous learning. UNESCO’s evolving right to education framework argues that with longer life expectancies and a fast-changing world, education must be understood as a lifelong and life-wide process. Technical and vocational education, adult learning, and informal learning pathways are all essential components. Governments that invest in lifelong learning opportunities are, in effect, investing in the long-term health of their democracies – ensuring that citizens at every stage of life remain capable of informed participation.

Inculcating values for peace and harmony 🔗

A democracy is only as strong as the social fabric that holds it together. Education plays a foundational role in nurturing the values – tolerance, empathy, respect for diversity, nonviolence – that keep diverse societies cohesive. Peace Insight identifies core values of nonviolence and social justice as central to peace education, noting that these are realised through principles of equality, responsibility, and solidarity. Peace education programmes address themes including conflict resolution, democracy, human rights, gender equality, and intercultural understanding – all of which are the connective tissue of democratic life.

The OHCHR’s Integrated Framework of Action on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy calls on educational institutions at all levels to introduce into their curricula the knowledge, values, and skills relating to peace, human rights, justice, professional ethics, and civic commitment. The ultimate goal, it states, is the development in every individual of a sense of universal values and responsibilities – a moral compass that transcends any single culture or nationality.

Education as a counter to division 🔗

In societies marked by diversity – of religion, language, ethnicity, and worldview – education is one of the most effective tools for bridging divides. Research published in JETIR (2025) highlights that peace education nurtures social cohesion through cross-group dialogue, respect for diversity, and shared social values, while acting as a counterweight to divisive ideologies. Inclusive curricula that represent different histories and viewpoints can reduce bias and build a culture of mutual recognition.

International IDEA reinforces this, observing that education serves as a bridge between diverse communities, promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Human rights education, in particular, encourages individuals to recognise the inherent dignity and rights of all people, regardless of difference. When schools become spaces for practising democratic values – not just learning about them – they become engines of social cohesion.

Education and social cohesion: the democratic bond 🔗

Social cohesion – the sense of shared belonging and mutual trust that holds a society together – is both a product of education and a precondition for democracy. The United Nations notes that education is crucial to fostering tolerance and contributing to more peaceful societies. This is not accidental; education systematically transmits the norms, habits, and values that communities depend on to function democratically.

UNESCO’s long-term objective, as documented in research on education for social cohesion, is the development of a comprehensive system of education for social cohesion, democracy, and peace – one that embraces all levels of education and is available to all people. This means formal schooling, non-formal learning, and informal education must all work together, and that educators, families, civil society, and governments must act in concert toward this goal.

Principles of Democracy captures the stakes plainly: every society transmits its habits of mind, social norms, culture, and ideals from one generation to the next. There is a direct connection between education and democratic values, and in democratic societies, educational content and practice must actively support habits of democratic governance. When that transmission is weak or distorted – when schools teach conformity rather than critical thought, or exclusion rather than inclusion – democratic culture erodes alongside it.

The school as a democratic space 🔗

Schools are not just places where democratic values are taught – they are places where those values should be practised. Student councils, open debate, inclusive decision-making, and peer mediation programmes are all ways in which educational institutions can model the democratic processes they seek to instil. The Council of Europe notes that many schools historically taught basic government structures without teaching students how to actually have a voice in their society – and why that voice matters. That gap must be closed.

When students experience democratic norms firsthand – when they practise resolving disputes fairly, participating in collective decisions, and respecting dissenting voices – they carry those habits into adult civic life. The classroom, in this sense, is the first laboratory of democracy. The OHCHR framework emphasises that higher education institutions too can contribute significantly by introducing peace, human rights, professional ethics, and civic commitment into their curricula, and by helping students appreciate the interdependence of states in an increasingly global society.

Challenges and the road ahead 🔗

Despite the clear importance of education to democracy, access remains deeply unequal. A 2025 UNESCO report found that the number of out-of-school children globally has risen again, reaching 272 million in 2023. In the world’s poorest countries, 36% of students are out of school, compared to just 3% in the wealthiest. Without urgent and sustained investment, the aspirations of democratic education will remain out of reach for hundreds of millions of people.

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Farida Shaheed, emphasises the growing recognition of the right to equitable and inclusive education – meaning every learner should receive the support they need to succeed in a learner-centric environment. This shift from equal to equitable and inclusive education reflects a deeper democratic commitment: not just that schools exist, but that they genuinely serve every child. Governments, international bodies, educators, and communities all share responsibility for making that a reality.

What do you think? If democratic citizenship is a skill that must be actively taught, how effectively do the schools you know prepare young people to participate in public life – not just as voters, but as engaged, critical, and empathetic members of society? And in a world increasingly shaped by misinformation and polarisation, which values should education prioritise most urgently to hold democratic societies together?

References

1. https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/re-examining-right-education-contemporary-perspective
2. https://www.unesco.org/en/right-education/need-know
3. https://www.principlesofdemocracy.org/education-dem
4. https://civiced.org/papers/articles_role.html
5. https://www.coe.int/en/web/edc/what-is-edc/hre
6. https://www.living-democracy.com/about-edc-hre/
7. https://www.idea.int/news/silent-infrastructure-democracy-why-education-matters
8. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/
9. https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/recommendation-education-peace-and-human-rights-international-understanding-cooperation-fundamental
10. https://www.unesco.org/en/right-education/evolving
11. https://www.peaceinsight.org/en/themes/peace-education/
12. https://www.ohchr.org/en/resources/educators/human-rights-education-training/12-integrated-framework-action-education-peace-human-rights-and-democracy-1995
13. https://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2504D82.pdf
14. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED566248.pdf
15. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/new-unesco-report-calls-renewed-commitment-right-education
16. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/qa-un-special-rapporteur-right-education