Bringing civics to life in an election year
Two national programmes are giving kura and schools practical ways to bring civics education to life in 2026, and to build on students’ knowledge, confidence, and participation in democracy.
As Aotearoa New Zealand heads into a general election year, new and established programmes are supporting schools to strengthen civics teaching and learning through real-world engagement.
YouthLaw Aotearoa’s new Waha programme, launching this term, has been developed alongside rangatahi, teachers and legal experts to help secondary students understand their rights, responsibilities and role in shaping their communities.
In reo Māori, ‘waha’ can mean gateway, an opening or a passage. Here, the subject of civics is made open and relevant to young people. As a verb, waha means to rise up, and in this context, waha serves as a gateway to rise up towards democracy.
The programme has a flexible, modular design to support integration in the classroom while building confidence and depth.
“Waha is an important step towards ensuring young people have the knowledge and confidence to participate fully in civic life,” explains YouthLaw general manager Darryn Aitchison.
Alongside this, the Electoral Commission’s Kids Voting – Te Pōti a Ngā Tamariki resource offers a hands-on, schoolwide approach for Years 0 to 13.
Culminating in a term 4 mock election aligned with the 2026 General Election, it gives students an authentic voting experience while exploring how parliament works and why participation matters.
Programmes like Waha and Kids Voting are supporting schools to strengthen civics teaching and learning through real-world engagement
Kura and schools are sent a free pack of resources, like posters, a ballot box, and teaching material. They are also given instructions on how to set up a voting place, including things like creating electoral rolls and how to guide voters through the process.
Students can take on roles like in a real voting place that are needed to run the election, such as an Issuing Officer who issues voting papers or Counters who count and record the results.
“Kids Voting is a fun and easy way for students to learn about New Zealand’s democracy and explore real-life election issues,” says deputy chief executive operations Anusha Guler.
Both programmes align with the social sciences learning area of The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) and Tikanga ā-Iwi in Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (2008, updated 2017) while also being consistent with the intent and proposed focus of the draft social sciences learning area and civics strand.
They emphasise active participation, critical thinking and real-world application, which are all key shifts reflected in ongoing curriculum refresh work.
Together, they highlight a growing focus on equipping ākonga not just with knowledge of democratic systems, but with the confidence and capability to engage in them.
In an election year, they offer timely opportunities for schools and kura to connect civics learning to lived experiences and national events.
Share your civics learning
How is your school or kura approaching civics education in this election year?
We’re keen to hear how you are:
- building understanding of democracy and government
- connecting learning to the 2026 General Election
- supporting student voice and participation
- integrating civics across your curriculum.
Get in touch to share your story for a future Education Gazette feature.
Email: [email protected]
Kids Voting – Te Pōti a Ngā Tamariki 2026
Registrations for Kids Voting – Te Pōti a Ngā Tamariki 2026 are open, and the resource packs will start to be distributed to kura and schools for term 3.
The mock election exercise will be held from mid-October and end before the real general election date on 7 November 2026.
Find out more and register on the Kids Voting website.
Waha
Waha will be ready for a national rollout in term 3, with a focus on the General Election. The Waha team is preparing an election package along with other organisations, including Generation Vote and Mana Mokopuna (Children’s Commissioner). The aim is to make it easy for teachers to make the most of the election.
The Waha team is running online introduction sessions and training in June. To find out more, visit the Waha website and sign up for updates.
