UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK elections chief Vijay Rangarajan urges civic lessons from age 11 to prepare young people for voting at 16 in future elections.
As reported by The Guardian, the UK elections watchdog stated that schools must introduce democracy lessons at the age of 11 and ensure teachers refrain from discussing politics to prepare pupils for voting at 16.
What did Vijay Rangarajan say about the starting age for democratic education?
Electoral Commission chief Vijay Rangarajan said democratic education will initially be introduced for students over 14 to prepare them for voting at 16.
He stressed that lessons would ultimately need to begin at age 11 to ensure students are fully equipped to use their voting rights at 16 and 17.
Responding to political calls for better preparation, the Electoral Commission is drafting resources for schools to support democratic education.
Mr Rangarajan said extensive work was being done to ensure citizenship material remains impartial, urging teachers to refrain from influencing pupils’ political choices.
He stated,
“We’re going to need teachers to be really good at leaving their own personal views a bit at the door here. And making clear, when they have got personal views, it’s just personal views.”
Mr Rangarajan stressed that teachers “will need really good materials and some guidance on how you can teach this stuff well” to manage debates and explain how the democratic system works.
He said,
“I can see that quite a few political parties have concerns about partiality, so we’re spending a lot of time on how we make sure the material is really impartial.”
Mr Rangarajan, who has led the commission for a year and previously served as an ambassador, said Scotland’s move to give 16-year-olds the vote offered key lessons. He stressed that schools must play a central role in teaching democracy.
The Electoral Commission head said,
“The main lesson that we took was it was extremely patchy in schools in Scotland, so that’s why we’re working on the education stuff really early on. A lot of teachers said ‘We don’t want to engage’ in the run-up to the Scottish referendum, which was really quite sensitive. So teachers need some support.”
According to him, providing national resources via the Electoral Commission allows teachers to “blame us if parents complain,” though he stressed that engaging young people remains essential.
The elections chief stressed that young people must learn to judge online content and recognise misinformation.
Researchers present mixed findings on lowering the voting age, though fresh data suggests early voting habits are more likely to last.
His remarks follow the government’s announcement of an election reform package. This includes tighter political funding rules, harsher penalties for violations, and the introduction of more automatic voter registration.
According to him, the Commission has been warning since 2013 about foreign funding in politics. He added that government reforms are crucial for restoring public trust in the electoral system.
Mr Ranganathan urged further measures to ensure the Electoral Commission’s independence. He highlighted that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had allowed ministers to set their policy objectives.
He said,
“The point of principle is that a government depends on an election to get re-elected. And it shouldn’t be able to instruct the people who are trying to referee that re-election.”
The election chief warned that female candidates remain vulnerable to deepfake pornography and raised concerns over cryptocurrency donations to political campaigns, suggesting tighter rules may be necessary.
He said the biggest danger to democracy is abuse discouraging participation, with women and ethnic minority candidates most at risk.
Mr Rangarajan stated,
“It’s very gendered. We’re getting into the realms of some of the deepfake porn and so on that we’re seeing being used as a direct tool against women candidates quite a lot.”
Some ministers have called for tighter rules on cryptocurrency donations, but the commission chief argued the current safeguards were enough. He noted that parties already receive unusual contributions, from artworks to foreign trips, which pose bigger risks.
What did the Teacher Tapp poll reveal about pupils’ readiness to vote at 16?
A Teacher Tapp survey of 6,000 teachers shows that over 80% believe the national curriculum fails to prepare pupils to vote at 16.
Nearly half of 16- and 17-year-olds also say they feel underinformed to cast a ballot.
Government plans to lower the voting age to 16
The government announced that by the next general election, 16- and 17-year-olds will gain the right to vote across the UK. However, some Labour figures fear it could strengthen smaller parties such as the Greens and Reform UK.
Officials argued that lowering the voting age would be fair for 16- and 17-year-olds, many of whom are already working. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that young taxpayers should have a say in how public funds are spent.
Angela Rayner’s views on giving 16- and 17-year-olds the vote
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner dismissed internal party concerns over lowering the voting age. She said she was more worried about the impact of misinformation on voters.
She stated,
“You can’t turn around and say: I don’t like what democracy is going to give, so I’m not giving you democracy. That argument is, to me, a cul-de-sac.”
Ms Rayner said,
“What we have to do is engage with people about the importance of democracy and the importance of them exercising their democracy, and our argument of why we’re the right people to do the job.”
She added,
“I’m more concerned about misinformation, fake news, the way people get information from these days, and how that can skewer democracy more so than I am about giving a 16- and 17-year-old the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.”
What did Luke Tryl say about public support for lowering the voting age?
Luke Tryl, More in Common’s director, stated,
“Beyond the electoral impact, the bigger question is whether this change will be popular. The public opposes lowering the voting age by a 48% to 27% margin, and it is not near the top of many Britons’ priorities.”