Canadian adults possess inadequate knowledge when it comes to understanding their civic duties, a new report says.
The survey was conducted using 1,919 Canadian adults in December 2023.
Information collected by Abacus Data found that sub-par civics knowledge can negatively impact a person’s willingness to actively participate in democracy.
According to the study, only 39 per cent of participants recalled learning about current events in school, 38 per cent remembered learning about how institutions and governments work, 37 per cent recalled being taught about the roles and responsibilities of being a citizen, and only one in 10 Canadians surveyed said they were taught how to discuss controversial issues.
As a consequence, those who do not remember learning or who were not taught about civics in school are less likely to vote or engage in discussing social issues with their friends and family, the study found.
On the contrary, 74 per cent of Canadians who remember learning at least one civic engagement skill said they like discussing social issues with family and friends and display a much stronger desire to vote in elections.
Of all the provinces, Alberta performed best, with only 21 per cent of participants saying they don’t recall learning anything about civics.
As for the rest of the country, knowledge and education is far more limited.
In Quebec for example, 55 per cent of residents said they don’t recall learning anything about civics.
Similarly, a woman who lives in Ontario but was educated in British Columbia told Now Toronto that she has no recollection of learning about civics at school.
“I’m 65, I don’t think it was super important back in my day like it is in the last 20 years, my daughter might know a lot more about that kind of thing,” she said.
On the other hand, a young male law student from Quebec told Now Toronto that he had a decent recollection of being taught civics in school.
‘I remember the basic structure of the government, I guess coming from Quebec they’re a little more particular about how our provincial government relates to our federal government, but besides that not much honestly,” he said.
In general, younger Canadians (18 to 29) are more likely to have received a well-rounded civics education in school, but there are still substantial gaps in their knowledge, the study said.
About half (48 per cent) of young Canadians recall learning about their role and responsibilities as a citizen, while 39 per cent remember learning about how institutions work in Canada, according to the study.
“From our research we can see there is a relationship between the skills and information taught during K-12 education and the actions and engagement of Canadians in adulthood,” the study said.
“Beyond encouraging participation in democracy by voting, learning about civics in school encourages people to engage in with their communities and networks, and foster the dialogue that is also important for maintaining a strong democracy, “ the study concluded.
