Engagement not electioneering should be the focus in schools

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Following the Scottish Government’s decision to extend the franchise for the independence referendum to 16 and 17 year olds, national guidance detailing how teachers should approach the subject of the referendum during lessons is expected to be published by Education Scotland this summer. However, the issue of providing information for schoolchildren has been at the forefront of the debate this week with particular focus on the extent to which the campaigns will attempt to influence young voters through schools. Young people are unlikely to shape the outcome since they only make up 4% of the electorate, even if they could be brainwashed into voting one way or the other. The real danger is that intense scrutiny and partisan electioneering will dissuade teachers and young people from participating in the debate. The consequence is that an already disengaged group could become further alienated from the political process. Younger people are far less likely to vote in the referendum than older people. Our most recent poll in May found that those aged 35 and over were twice as likely as those aged 18-24 to be certain to vote (80% compared to 41%). In the same poll, only 29% of 18-24 years olds said they would be certain to vote in an immediate Scottish Parliament election compared with 69% of those aged 25 and over. The recent survey by Edinburgh University did little to suggest that 14-17 year olds would be any more likely to vote as only 44% said they were very likely to take part in the referendum. Furthermore, a recent report by the Hansard Society underlines the lack of engagement in politics among young people. Only 24% of 18-24 year olds across Britain were interested in politics, down from 42% in 2011, while the proportion that is certain to vote in an election fell from 22% to 12%. Although there is an overall decline in engagement with politics among people of all ages, the report argues that voting at an early age is likely to encourage voting in later life. Some might argue that there is a lifecycle effect involved and that interest in politics increases as people get older and take on greater responsibilities, such as a home and family. However, analysis conducted by Ipsos on generational differences suggests that this is not the case. Taking party affiliation as a proxy for interest, the analysis shows that each generation is less likely than the generation before to identify themselves with a political party. Crucially, it also shows that affiliation does not increase as people get older. This suggests that young people who are apathetic towards politics are likely to remain apathetic in later life, which could have severe implications for the future of voting in elections across the UK. The referendum offers a unique opportunity to encourage engagement among younger people as the outcome will have a fundamental impact on their futures. It is important that schoolchildren are educated about the importance of the referendum and encouraged to participate in the debate on their own terms. The legacy of enabling 16 and 17 year olds to vote in the referendum should not be its impact on the outcome, but that it sparks interest in politics that will last a lifetime. Check out our latest thinking on Scottish political and social issues here