The thesis offers an analysis of the link between primary education and democratization, particularly in the Sub-Saharan African context. It tests the hypothesis prevalent in development, democratization and education policy that citizens that are better educated are more actively involved in the political life of their country. The analysis is built on three key concepts- education, democracy and political culture. Using the republican theory of citizenship as an analytical model, this thesis studies the results of the Afrobarometer surveys conducted in Malawi and in Ghana from 1999 until 2011. By tracing the transformation of citizens' political attitudes and practices after the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) this paper suggests that there is a positive correlation between one's level of primary education and their political engagement.