Empowering Minds, Enriching Democracy:
The Role of the Youth in Civic Engagement
In this turbulent age of division and distrust, where the air is heavy with misinformation and the world is caught in the grip of political unrest, one might expect the nation’s schools to serve as sanctuaries of free thought and reason. And yet, in an ironic twist, many school administrators have taken it upon themselves to stifle the very spark of inquiry they ought to kindle. Student-led forums, which offer young minds a platform to question, discuss, and learn about the pressing social issues of our day, are being struck down in the name of so-called “nonpartisanship.” The excuse, as old as it is tired, is that students should focus solely on their studies, as though education and reality were two separate spheres.
It is hardly surprising that the reins of “political awareness” are often held tightly by administrators, whose understanding of neutrality tends to favor their own biases. Their refusal to let students lead discussions often reflects not fairness, but fear—fear that the ideas of the young might challenge the status quo. In truth, these forums are not hotbeds of partisanship but crucibles of critical thought. Yet, administrators use the guise of nonpartisanship to cling to control, supporting organizations known to suppress dissent while claiming to protect students’ innocence. This infantilization of the youth, particularly in conservative or reactionary circles, seeks to keep them unspoiled by the real world, as though they were delicate children incapable of grappling with hard truths.
To deny young people the chance to grapple with the realities around them is to rob them of their future. Take, for instance, the burning issues of the day: the tense standoff between the Supreme Court and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) over a Temporary Restraining Order, the rampant spread of fake news and troll farms poisoning public discourse, and the erosion of trust in democratic institutions. These are not abstract concerns—they are the raw material of the world the youth are about to inherit. To deny them the chance to discuss such matters in an open forum is not neutrality; it is negligence.
History has shown that education is not simply about filling young minds with knowledge but about lighting the fire of civic responsibility and critical thought. Recent events serve as a stark reminder of this. Consider the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), which recently withdrew from the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) under the banner of academic freedom. And yet, even as they proclaimed their independence, they insisted on aligning with the task force’s broader mission. Such contradictions mirror the plight of many schools today—caught between claiming neutrality and kowtowing to forces that stifle dissent.
Nonpartisanship, if wielded as a tool to consolidate power or preserve innocence, is no virtue. It becomes, instead, a thin veil for the suppression of dialogue and the preservation of the establishment’s interests. The question we must ask ourselves is this: Can education truly fulfill its purpose if it divorces itself from the realities shaping the nation?
Student-led forums offer an antidote to this dangerous trend. They allow young people to take their first steps into the arena of civic engagement—questioning candidates, scrutinizing platforms, and sharpening their sense of responsibility to their country. With the Midterm elections fast approaching, these fora could serve as vital laboratories of democracy, cultivating a generation that sees beyond propaganda and empty promises.
Education, in its truest sense, is about more than preparing students for careers. It is about empowering them to think critically, act courageously, and engage meaningfully with the world around them. By shutting down student-led initiatives, schools risk failing not only their students but the society they are meant to serve.
The youth of today are not mere spectators; they are the architects of tomorrow. To stifle their voices is to dim the light of a collective future. Let the concerned, then, cast aside the chains of fear and embrace the promise of dialogue, for it is through the questioning minds of the young that the nation will find its way forward.