In Northern Ireland, we’ve heard the theory that such a move would be detrimental to the Union because of the increase in the Catholic population and the low voter turnouts in traditionally Unionist constituencies.
There is the assumption that the ability of 16 and 17-year-olds now having voting rights could hasten a Border Poll resulting in support for Irish Unity.
There can be no doubt generally there is a problem with low voter turnout at elections and lowering the voting age could be used as a platform to encourage more people to engage with the democratic process.
However, if 16 and 17-year-olds are to be given the right to potentially decide their future councillors, Assembly members and Westminster MPs, then there is a responsibility on the education system to ensure those new voters know how democracy works.
The 16 plus voting strategy will only work for the benefit of democracy if the schools are in the frontline of educating young people about that process.
In Northern Ireland terms, once a young people leaves primary school after the transfer test and moves into secondary education, that is when compulsory lessons on citizenship studies should begin.
Educationally, at ages 11 or 12 when the pupil begins secondary school, the process of preparing the student to sit GCSE Maths and English begins. Schools must not wait until the student chooses their GCSE subjects to begin the process of preparing them for voting rights at 16.
In my secondary school education days in the Seventies, four subjects were compulsory to then O Level stage - English Language, English Literature, Maths and French. They were taught from the day and hour I walked into Ballymena Academy after the then 11 Plus exam in 1971.
In 2025, the process should be put in place that there is an emphasis on three subjects - English, Maths and Citizenship Studies.
You need only listen to the quality of debates at any youth parliament to learn there are some very bright teenagers who are well clued into what is needed in the democratic process.
It is rather dismissive to fuel the perception that all 16 and 17-year-olds are as thick as two short planks when it comes to deciding the future of government or what issues matter to them. Education remains the key to making this work.
Likewise, the Christian churches can also play a vital role in this education process. In spite of the perception we are living in an increasingly secular and pluralist society, many young people still attend Sunday schools and Bible classes.
This means that from an early age, the Christian denominations can teach the children and young people proper Biblical values so that when they reach the new voting age, they are in a clear position to fully defend Western Christian values and can vote in candidates who support those values.
The obvious fly in the ointment in this agenda is that some fundamentalist Christian denominations see participating in the democratic process as being ‘off the world’ and would even discourage their flocks from voting.
Just as there needs to be agreement that preparation for voting at 16 begins with the school curriculum at 11 in secondary education, so too do the Christian denominations need to agree that young people can have a Christian influence on political events - and that the churches teaching begins in both Sunday school and Bible class.
This would give the churches a tremendous advantage as many children begin attending Sunday school during their primary school years.
However, if compulsory citizenship studies on democracy and voting rights are not added to the curriculum in secondary education, there is the inherent danger the 16 plus voting strategy could leave itself open to influence by extremist organisations.
This could see the 16 plus first time voters deciding who to vote for on pure emotion rather than educated common sense. Simply lowering the voting age without implementing the educational safeguards leaves the process prone to abuse by radicalisation.
Likewise, lowering the voting age to 16 should also be a learning curve for society on how much they should value the democratic process in the United Kingdom given the number of nations across the globe where no such democracy exists.
The 16 plus voting move should be a first step in a campaign for compulsory voting as exists, for example, in Australia.
Similarly, as part of this mandatory citizenship studies curriculum, the new generation of 16 plus voters needs a much clearer appreciation of what the soldiers who fought in two world wars served and sacrificed for.
Veterans of those two bloody campaigns are now few and far between. An understanding and clear appreciation of the democratic rights they fought to preserve should not simply be limited to Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day.
Lowering the voting age to 16 must be presented as honouring their memory and sacrifice. That process must not be allowed to be hijacked by militant radicals.
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| Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter John is a Director for Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. |
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