My Constitution teaches children about their rights and responsibilities

Building awareness of the Constitution through play

Free curriculum for teachers available to download from today

JOHANNESBURG (24 February 2022) – Today sees the launch of new, original curriculum resources that aim to strengthen South African learners’ knowledge of the Constitution, children’s rights, girls’ rights, and how to participate in a democracy.

Called My Constitution and available now to download for free, the curriculum is aimed predominantly at learners in grades 3 to 6, but its playful activities can be easily adapted for children in grades 1-2, as well as grades 7 and above. It helps South African educators enliven and enrich classroom learning with playful activities and participative dialogue.

My Constitution is a project of Play Africa, Southern Africa’s pioneering children’s museum that is based at the iconic Constitution Hill. Play Africa was just named a finalist for Best Rising NGO in South Africa in the inaugural CSI Legacy Awards, a showcase of leading NGOs adjudicated by CSRNews.

“Children of today were not alive to remember the struggle for democracy, nor the signing of the Constitution, so we must make the Constitution and what it means come alive for a new generation,” said Play Africa founder and CEO, Gretchen Wilson-Prangley. “Democracy only works when people understand what it is, and why it is so important. So we use play to teach learners from a young age about the Constitution, their rights, and how to participate in a democratic society.”

The release of the educational materials comes at a time that marks 25 years of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. South Africa’s constitution came into effect on 4 February 1997.

The development of My Constitution began in 2018, when Play Africa’s began offering programmes at Constitution Hill and in communities that used facilitator-led dialogue sessions and role play to introduce children to the ways people can make their voice heard in a democratic society. The activities include making one’s voice heard in a courtroom setting, learning to vote in an election, and making signs to affirm their rights in a peaceful demonstration. Since then, Play Africa has led more than 120 of these 2-3 hour workshops with more than 3,000 children.

The programme aims to bridge knowledge gaps in children and young people about their rights and responsibilities in our society. Wilson-Prangley said it has been inspiring to hear from girls and boys alike who have learned about gender equality, and to see children feeling empowered through role playing roles as judges, lawyers, and voters. Educators often share how they have gained new insights into the Constitution, and why voting matters.

“Again and again, teachers observing the programme asked us to find a way to reach learners at every school across the country,” said Wilson-Prangley. “We realised that creating free, easy-to-adapt curriculum resources for educators would replicate our programme at scale, and help empower exponentially more children with knowledge of their rights.”

My Constitution’s free, open-source materials for teachers include easy-to-follow lesson plans for engaging, out-of-your-seat learning activities, links to archival material, and “how-to” videos. All elements help teachers enliven their classrooms with playful methods to teach children about the Constitution and how it affirms the values of equality, freedom and human dignity, including the rights of children.

The step-by-step guides for all teachers of grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 are aligned with specific national curriculum standards, including the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS).

The ambitious project aims to strengthen civic education in South Africa, creating a new generation of informed, engaged South African citizens who make a positive difference in the world around them.

“It’s widely known that we’ve got one of the best Constitutions in the world, but unless we engage with it, what does it really mean?” said Futhi Mbongwe, operations manager at Play Africa, who helped design the programme. “Through these resources, we’re amplifying the voices of children and helping make the Constitution more accessible for children, which we hope will create a future where those children will become interested in the Constitution and its possibilities.”

“I can’t wait to share this wonderful resource with my colleagues,” said Nosisa Dube, an educator at Jeppe Park Primary School in Johannesburg. “This toolkit is valuable to me as a teacher because it includes well-structured lesson plans with well formulated objectives, time stamps and aligned resources. What makes it different from the other resources I see is that it brings playfulness in the learning while catering for different learning modalities (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic) as it involves reading, watching videos, listening and a lot of movement.”

My Constitution was made possible with the support of the Government of Canada and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. South Africa’s Constitution was drafted with support from Canadian advisory teams, and Canadian law and jurisprudence helped shape the understanding and application of rights in a new, democratic South Africa.

“Canada is proud to support the My Constitution project,” said Chris Cooter, High Commissioner for Canada. “South Africa justifiably prides itself on having one of the most progressive constitutions in the world. It’s critical for the next generation to be knowledgeable about their rights as they carry that legacy forward into the future.”

It is fitting that Play Africa is based at Constitution Hill, a former military fort and prison which is now the heart of South Africa’s democracy, and home to the Constitutional Court.

“Our Constitution is interpreted every day at the Constitutional Court, and will help us respond to our biggest challenges, including Covid-19, ongoing inequalities and climate change,” said Wilson-Prangley. “For our democracy to thrive in the future, we need children of today to grow up as active citizens, learning how to make their voices heard and understanding why our Constitution and democracy are so important.”

Click here to download your free resources today!