Educators who have obtained sufficient information about the context within which they are
intending to operate must develop a general approach to their programmes. This general
approach, or strategy, provides an operating framework within which educational objectives can
be established and operating paradigms determined.
While there are theoretical commonalities, whether the educator is responsible for Voter Information, 'Voter Education' or Civic Education, there are also differences among them. These nuances are discussed in the section on Definitions. This section of the topic area outlines those matters educators have to address in a general strategy.
Because the word 'education' has become loaded with many meanings and nuances, it appears
more neutral to think of voter education as primarily a communication problem--a message is created and then it is communicated to willing recipients. Irrespective of the
problematic nature of this conception itself, voter and civic education are indeed educational
enterprises. Both involve people, knowledge, experience and power and result in learning,
understanding, and changes in the world and personal behaviour.
It is essential that educators consider, therefore, the educational strategy they intend to adopt for
the whole programme. A clear strategy enables them to bring together the necessary resources
in a cost-effective way and to communicate to the broad audience of learners, stakeholders,
partners, individual practitioners and producers with whom the programme will have to interact.
This section looks primarily at informal and adult educational strategies. While some of these have classroom
implications, they are more suited to the national education programmes that are required in
countries that are engaged in building and sustaining democracy. The topic area leaves open the
possibility that all countries may consider this a necessary prerequisite to democracy.
In order to provide some information to assist in developing the educational strategy, this section
considers Educational Theory, ways of organising (see Organisation), different general methodological options
(see Methodology Selection), and the question of the relationship between message development and
educational needs (see Message Development) and curriculum development.
