Today the Guardian has published an interesting article highly relevant to ODT: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/16/reconstruction-after-covid-votes-for-children-age-six-david-runciman

The author argues that the voting age should be lowered to six, or at least below 18, in the interest of universal suffrage. Runciman addresses a number of possible criticisms, including ‘lack of competence’; inability to understand complex social issues; parental pressure; and protecting children from the realities of life. Each of these objections is found insufficiently persuasive.

For this topic, ODT has unique knowledge since we used an earlier version of the software (the Values Exchange) in schools, mostly in Australia, for several years. These were predominantly fee-paying schools in the affluent Sydney suburbs, similar results were achieved in the state system.

We found, as a part of a philosophy for children initiative, that:

• Six-year olds are more than capable of understanding and engaging in complex debates
• They are influenced by their parents but no more than adults are influenced by others
• Many of their parents did not want six-year olds and over discussing social issues in case the parents would lose their influence
• Children are often more able than their parents to consider social matters
• Children are far more curious and open-minded about the world since they have not had time for prejudice to become deep-seated

TWO THIRDS OF CHILDREN ASKED DID NOT WANT THE VOTE

We regularly surveyed the young people we were working with about all manner of issues, and they excitedly used the system to post their own issues too (which adults very rarely do). Several times we asked about the voting age, specifically, should it be lowered to 16.

Surprisingly perhaps, the youthful respondents consistently voted 2-1 against have the vote. Many felt unready for the responsibility and also did not want distractions from their own priorities. Generally speaking they would prefer to live their own lives as well as they can.

But should the franchise be extended to enable children to have a say about the world they have been born into?