It was reported (September 20) that the draft National Children’s Policy document proposes extending full voting rights to young people aged 16. I have argued, more than once in this paper, against such a proposal because I reason that 16-year-olds are not yet mature to undertake such a responsibility.

Instead of preparing our youths, through education, to take an interest and participate in politics, we are assuming that by giving 16-year-olds the power to vote in general elections we are automatically making them knowledgeable in all that goes on in politics. There are various other areas where 16-year-olds are not considered yet mature:  they are not eligible to drive, drink alcohol, smoke or take a full-time job on a regular basis.

Casting a ballot is an important decision that affects not only 16-year-olds but the rest of society. Are 16-year-olds educated enough to make an informed vote? Before giving them such a responsibility, we need to first educate our youths in the ways of responsible adulthood.

Let us widen our educational curriculum and include topics related to politics and current affairs. Let us, by all means, involve youths in discussions when formulating national policies but being able to discuss topics of national concern does not necessarily mean that one is ready to take decisions that affect society as a whole. We need to understand that engagement takes time.

If we want to convince ourselves that lowering the voting age is adept we have to look at the whole spectrum where youths can take decisions. It is only if we consider a 16-year-old an adult and therefore can decide on other important issues, that he/she can be eligible to vote in general elections.

By lowering the voting age, in my opinion, political parties are looking at the interests of the party and not the best interest of youths themselves and the good of society as a whole.

As Carola Binney, a young Spectator blogger argued in The Guardian (2014) when discussing whether Britain should lower the voting age to 16: “Politicians assume that ‘unthinking’ under-18s would give their enfranchisers a nice boost in the polls.”