Young people want to learn more about politics and democracy

Young people and children want to learn more about elections and politics in school, according to new research by the Electoral Commission. The research, carried out with people aged 11 to 25, found that nearly three quarters of those surveyed (72%) wanted to be taught more about the subject.

While most young people hear about politics from TV or social media, they have concerns about whether to trust the information. Young people said they considered schools and colleges to be more trusted environments for learning about politics, but only a third of 11 – 17 year olds had heard about politics at school in the last year.

The results also show that, for those who say they would not vote in a future general election, the main reasons are a lack of interest in politics and a lack of knowledge of who to vote for.

To support future generations to have the confidence and knowledge to participate in elections, the Commission has recently called for changes to the curriculum in England. The Commission has recommended that all young people have the opportunity to learn more about democracy at school and that educators are supported to deliver effective democratic education.

The UK Government has committed to lowering the voting age to 16 across the country, making it even more important that young people are taught about democracy and elections.

Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive at the Electoral Commission said:

“Young people are telling us they want to learn more about democracy and voting – we hear it loud and clear.

“Voting is habit forming, and the more we can give young people the information they need to take part, the more confident they will become. Learning and talking about politics supports an interest in taking part in our democracy. Meeting candidates and elected politicians – and understanding the crucial role they play – helps robust and respectful debate.  And debate can help people of all ages think about what information to trust.

“It’s crucial that young people are getting the right support to prepare them to participate in elections, which is all the more important if the franchise is to be extended to sixteen year olds. Now is the time to ensure the offering to young people is strong. The Commission will be scaling up its work with schools to meet the demand for democratic education, but the citizenship curriculum should also be modernised.”

The findings are being launched to mark the start of Welcome To your Vote Week, an annual event run by the Electoral Commission with schools and youth groups to celebrate democracy. This year’s theme is ‘get informed and get involved’ which seeks to support young people to access trustworthy information to get informed about politics, democracy and elections, and take the first steps to get involved locally.

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For more information contact the Electoral Commission press office on 020 7271 0704, out of office hours 07789 920 414 or [email protected]. 

Spokespeople are available for interview.