Recent research from the Electoral Commission’s Young People’s Views on Politics and Voting 2026 report shows that young people value democracy and want to engage with the political process, but the opportunities to build knowledge and confidence are deeply unequal.  

As Global Citizenship educators, we tell young people that they can shape the future and their voice matters, which means we have a responsibility to create the conditions where they can practise, see and trust that power. Our job is to ensure democracy isn’t a distant adult-led process that they inherit at 16 or 18, but as something they can practise and influence long before then. 

It begins with voice.  

Giving children genuine opportunities to use their voice from an early age is common in primary settings but it also requires us to look closely at how deeply we listen and whether we only welcome the kinds of change that feel convenient or easy for adults.  

Take this hypothetical example: the pupil council wants to improve breaktimes. They suggest better equipment and more access to quiet spaces. Their ideas are passed to the teachers leading the group, and the only action taken is creating a poster reminding pupils to look after the equipment. They were “listened to”, but nothing meaningful changed. 

What looked like participation was shaped by adult convenience rather than children’s priorities.  

The issue matters 

Finding out what issues young people care about it vital. A helpful starting point to help with this is thinking about where children are in relation to an issue. What are their feelings, their experiences, and their level of understanding. Tools like the Blob Tree are brilliant for this. They let learners choose a character that represents how they feel about an issue. It opens honest conversations and helps you see the range of perspectives in the room.  

Perspective is also important when trying to foster democratic engagement, it can be powerful for children and young people to explore an issue from more than one viewpoint. For example, in the earlier pupil‑council scenario, children asked for more quiet space as they were perhaps thinking about classmates who need somewhere to regulate. That shows real awareness, and it helps them to recognise that decisions affect different people in different ways. It also opens up conversations about how people have different needs within a community, including those whose needs are often marginalised. This highlights the importance of being an upstander who speaks up for others and, in democratic terms, a representative who considers more than just their own perspective. 

Young people lead the way  

If we truly value voice, children and young people will believe they can, and do, hold power. It moves from “I care about this” to “I am going to do this.” To understand what this might look and feel like in practice, we can draw on the principles (re) design. This is when children and young people don’t just learn about an issue, they change something about how an issue is understood and communicated – they shape, create and influence.  

Let’s explore the issue of active travel. Local councils often want to increase the number of children walking or wheeling to school. But what are the young people who are at the heart of this feeling and thinking? Using the principles of (re) design children would begin by exploring the issue from all angles- why do some walk while others don’t? What are the barriers? What would make it easier? At this stage they gather insights from their peers and viewpoints are acknowledged. They might create their own awareness campaign and make a film that shows safe and fun ways to get to school, myth bust about the weather and provide a solution for children who hate getting wet such as an umbrella library. They share their message and their motivations with parents and present at school assemblies.   

At this local level, children and young people are in charge of the narrative. It builds trust, agency and a sense of ownership. In this example young people become the responsible creators of information, shaping the issue rather than having it shaped for them.   

Building democratic habits in our schools helps young people see that participation has a purpose. Young people are keen to know how democracy works, why it matters and where they fit in.