Secret Diary of an Irish teacher: Why we should reduce the voting age

I grew up listening to Bob Dylan. Specifically, 1960s acoustic Dylan, his voice full of longing, wisdom and insight. The world he evoked was one I escaped into, far from the relative boredom of ’80s and ’90s Ireland.

That time period, at least how I experienced it, seemed shaped like a concrete block, unengraved, uninspiring.

Times didn’t feel like they were “a-changing” any time soon; it just didn’t have that air, or maybe we just didn’t have the interest.

As a generation, we played and then we studied and then we drank quite a bit. We planned our futures; we didn’t think for a second that we could shape them.

Contemporary Ireland is different. There’s a new voice of rebellion in the air — a wonderful chorus of young people, some of my students among them.

These children are an indomitable force and I’m only sorry I can’t be their age now. They embody the spirit of Dylan and, unlike my generation, are adamant they can bring about change.

I was lucky enough to accompany them on their first protest earlier this year. We walked along the quays and into the heart of the march. And that’s exactly what it felt like. It felt like being inside this huge beating heart, strong and warm and ceaseless.

I watched in tears. I watched old people with their grandkids; I spotted my old lecturer in the crowd; I saw my students embrace kids from other schools.

Walking down the main street of the city, you could see office workers hanging out of the upper stories of banks and insurance brokers. And they weren’t scoffing or scowling; they were cheering their young people on.

They seemed awed by this generation willing to do what they never did.

Last Friday was their fourth march, on the back of attending a Youth Assembly on Climate in the Dáil and a Climate Justice Conference in the City Hall. Whatever you might think about these efforts, they are efforts indeed. These students are spending time thinking about what can be done.

They meet on a weekly basis and they are willing and ready to fight their corner, hold their ground.

The banners and pickets they make are incredible. One student arrived in the morning having spent hours making a sign with his dad, carving a piece of wood into the ‘Planet B’ we don’t have.

You could see how proud he was, of himself, his dad, their joint efforts. There is something very special about this movement. Something worthy of our time and awareness.

Which brings me to my main point. Should these young people not be allowed to vote? On this topic perhaps more than most, it seems completely bonkers that they can’t be offered some involvement. Paternalistic Ireland of the past is ‘dead and gone’.

These students are not just calling for change, they are demanding change. Maybe our voting system needs to reflect that?

What age might be appropriate? About 16... But I’d settle for 17. The point is that many young people are actively engaged in the world at this age, and many are without the jaded cynicism of older generations.

Not only can they access information, they are acquiring the skills to critically examine it, in a way our older generation cannot. It’s time for us to recognise this, at least in matters that directly affect them. The engaged student deserves representation.

In 2014, Scottish teenagers of 16 and above were invited to vote in the Independence Referendum. Rightly so.

A majority of them showed up. Maybe Ireland should make a similar move? Maybe we should stop and listen to our young people in a respectful, egalitarian manner.

With more than 4000 children homeless this Christmas, maybe we should allow young people some involvement in changing our policies?

We all went to school and unfortunately, this can mean we all think we’re experts on it. Trust me when I say that the average person wouldn’t recognise many lessons nowadays.

A lot, maybe not enough, but a lot of schools are different now and the curriculum is shifting.

Students are now taught CSPE which helps them to be politically and civically engaged. SPHE offers them an understanding of self in society and ethics, taught in Educate Together schools, helps them to truly listen to other perspectives. They are also required to complete ‘actions’ to promote civic responsibility.

One of my groups last year produced wax wraps, fully marketing, and packaging them for sale. The money they raised went towards the conservation of our bees. Being inside that classroom was like being in the best creative workshop imaginable. These students were 12- years-old.

I can understand why 16-years-olds might have been considered too young in my day. Our education was narrow; we dipped our toes into thin streams of subjects. Students are different now.

A recent survey by Cybersafe Ireland revealed that 72% of kids between the ages of 8 and 13 are using social media and that their parents helped them to join.

We’re happy for kids to be exposed to the wilderness that is the internet. At 16, we’re happy for them to have jobs and pay taxes. We are content to watch them striking from school to get their voices heard. But we will never give them the vote?

“The times, they are a changing.” We should too.