<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Power to the people</h2>

Would you call a country where more than a fifth of people cannot vote a "democracy"? If not, bad news: you might not be living in a democratic country after all.

In the UK, 21% of people are under 18, the voting age.¹ That means they have no say in how the country is run.

It is something one person is trying to change. Children's CommissionerA public official in England responsible for protecting the rights of children as set out in UN conventions and other human rights' conventions. Dame Rachel de Souza believes young people's voices are being overlooked. She sent a survey called the Big Ambition to 22,500 schools across England to find out what they really think.²

Unsurprisingly, 78% said they are not being listened to by those who run the country.

That is why some think the time has come for young people should have their own role in public life.

The idea that children should be treated differently from adults is surprisingly recent. In ancient Rome, it was believed that an eight-year-old was ready to start working around the home. As early as 12 they were treated as full adults.³

Throughout the Middle Ages it was normal for children to work on the family farm or be sent off to work as servants for members of their extended family. Until 1429 some children were even able to vote.

It was only in the 18th Century that some philosophers began to argue children should be treated differently from adults. In particular, Jean-Jacques RousseauAn 18th Century Swiss philosopher whose book Reveries of the Solitary Walker extolled the virtues of being alone in nature. argued that children were innocents who should be protected from the hardships of adult life for as long as possible.⁴

Nonetheless, poorer children continued to work, and in the 19th Century factories became reliant on young people's labour. The first age limits on work were not introduced until 1833, which banned the hiring of children younger than nine.

In all this time, if a male child's father died, he would become head of the household, no matter what his age.

It was not until the advent of universal compulsory education in the 20th Century that it was really established that children should be treated differently from adults.

We probably do not want to go back to the days when children worked on farms or in factories. But it is worth reflecting on whether we have swung too far towards treating them differently from adults, especially in political matters.

These days we exclude children from elections on the basis that they do not know enough about national affairs to be trusted with a vote.

But, some point out, we do not apply this principle to adults. Adults who know next to nothing about the world are still encouraged to vote.

We tend to say instead that all adults should get the vote because they are affected by government decisions and so they should have a say. But children are also affected by these decisions, in fact even more so, as they spend most of their time in government institutions.

Even if we do not allow children to vote, they say, it is a bad sign that they do not feel their voices are being heard. In just a few years, they will be able to cast a ballot.

But if they are already disillusioned with the political system before they even start, they might never bother to turn out - or they might vote for anyone who wants to shake up the system.

Do young people's views matter?

Yes: Young people have an interest in the way the country is run. Few are as deeply affected as they are by government decisions. They should have the right to make their voice heard.

No: Children are already represented in the political sphere by their parents. They have not gained the knowledge and maturity needed to make sensible decisions in the national interest.

Or... Democracy does not exist because we think it is nice for people to be able to vote, but because if they cannot vote, they will riot. We should be wary of giving young people no way of venting their grievances.

Children's Commissioner - A public official in England responsible for protecting the rights of children as set out in UN conventions and other human rights' conventions.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau - An 18th Century Swiss philosopher whose book Reveries of the Solitary Walker extolled the virtues of being alone in nature.