According to the Intergenerational Foundation, just over 40% of 18-24 year olds voted in the 2015 general election compared to 80% of over-65s. In the last EU referendum, About 64% of registered voters aged 18-24 went to polls but 90% of over-65s voted (source: BBC). Elderly citizens are known for their physical inactivity, yet their political activeness far outweighs Britain's millenials. There are a plethora of reasons why 18-24 year olds vote less than older citizens, one of which would be a lack of political knowledge. It might be challenging for young people to enlighten themselves on the broad political spectrum, so a sensible suggestion would be for politics to become part of the national curriculum.
Although the above figures show that millenials vote less than elderly people, there is a positive trend nonetheless. This trend is mirrored in American politics: Simon Rosenberg, president of NDN, stated that “53% to 55% of registered 18 to 29-year-olds appear to have voted. That may be the highest ever recorded in the modern era of politics.” It is excellent that millenials are voting more but are schools doing enough?
At Croydon High School, the Politics Department carried out various activities to introduce students to the types of political systems and demonstrate the concept of voting. An example of this was a poll which asked students to vote for their favourite chocolate bar. The results were recorded systematically and analysed. Many students enjoyed this, including Bushra, a year 12 student, who stated, "I don't know anything about politics but I do know my chocolate. My vote was easy." Although the idea of voting for your favourite chocolate bar seems trivial, it demonstrates that voters can make decisions with ease when they are well-informed on the subject of interest. Politics students also monitored the progress of the American Election and made surprisingly accurate predictions on the outcome, with the majority of students anticipating Biden's victory.
Politics does not have to be dull. It can be taught in various amusing and enlightening ways. Schools can teach politics using practical activites and students can listen to podcasts such as Westminister Hour which gives an insight into British Politics. It could be as simple as watching the news during registration and having a discussion. It is essential that we understand the political climate because it affects young people in every way (education, jobs, health etc). The significance of political knowledge should not be undermined, so let's keep this positive trend going and learn more, so we can vote more.
