Votes at 16: Why Citizenship Education Must Start Early

The Government’s decision to extend the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds has reignited a vital debate: how do we ensure young people are properly prepared to take part in democracy?

This week, The Telegraph highlighted concerns that many young people may not receive the political education they need, noting that very few pupils take Politics at GCSE and many schools lack the specialist teachers to deliver it. Meanwhile in The Guardian, Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, made the case for teaching about democracy from the age of 11, stressing the importance of impartial, high-quality education delivered by confident educators.

Together, these views reflect a growing recognition that democratic education matters. But they also highlight a simple truth: we already have a subject designed to deliver it.

Citizenship: the existing solution

For over 20 years, Citizenship has been part of the National Curriculum, designed to ensure young people learn about democracy, the law, rights, media literacy and active participation in communities and public life. Where it is well taught, the benefits are clear: young people become more politically informed, confident and engaged.

The challenge is that provision is too often patchy, with many schools facing timetable pressures, a lack of trained teachers and outdated perceptions of the subject. Research shows that young people themselves want more knowledge about democracy and politics – but too often the opportunity isn’t there.

What needs to change

If Votes at 16 is to succeed, we must strengthen the foundations already in place:

• Guarantee every pupil access to high quality, Citizenship education from primary through to post-16.

• Invest in teacher recruitment and training to build a confident specialist workforce.

• Modernise the curriculum to ensure clear content on democracy, voting, rights and media literacy.

Recent research carried out by ACT shows the powerful impact of Citizenship education. Our findings reveal that students who take GCSE Citizenship Studies report higher levels of political understanding, confidence and interest. The benefits are especially marked for young women and students from ethnic minority backgrounds, demonstrating the subject’s vital role in tackling inequalities in political participation.

Calls for stronger political education are growing across public life. On the politics podcast The Rest is Politics, Alastair Campbell recently argued that Citizenship and Politics should be taught from primary school to prepare young people properly for democracy. These voices add weight to what young people themselves are already saying: they want more focus on politics, governance and active citizenship, as highlighted by the interim findings of the Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review.

As ACT Chief Executive Liz Moorse has said:

The growing attention from commentators and campaigners alike underlines the urgency of action: the extension of the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds must be accompanied by high-quality Citizenship and democracy education so that all young people can take part in democracy with knowledge and confidence. Citizenship is already part of the national curriculum — the challenge is making sure every student has the time and opportunity to study it properly, taught by trained and supported teachers.

Through our Make Space for Citizenship campaign, ACT is calling on government, school leaders and policymakers to ensure that this entitlement is upheld for all pupils. Only then can Votes at 16 deliver on its promise of empowering the next generation of active and informed citizens.