Explaining Brexit in children’s terms

IT’S right that young people should learn about current affairs, including Brexit, and have a voice about events that will shape their lives.

But as few enough adults fully understand the Brexit process, it will be interesting to see how the views of seven-year-olds will be used to inform Britain’s departure from the EU.

After announcing plans to give 16-year-olds the vote in local elections, the Welsh Government is showing its belief in young people again by announcing that children aged as young as seven will get the chance to have their say on Brexit.

This is all well and good, but care must be taken not to indoctrinate or misinform.

The relevance of their responses will depend on the quality and quantity of information they receive at school, home and everywhere else in their lives. It could be argued that people as young as seven may not have the experience, knowledge or sophistication of political and economic thought to give fully-informed views on Brexit.

It has, after all, been clearly demonstrated that many adults lack these qualities – so let’s hope the young are being informed by the very best minds Wales has to offer. The danger is that they may receive one-sided views. Wherever you stand on Brexit, surely it is only fair to equip these primary school children with the full range of views and information?

The consultation is being launched to help ministers understand the views of the younger generation and make sure they are represented in the Welsh Government’s discussions and decisions about Wales’ future once the UK leaves the EU. Wales’ Minister for Children Huw Irranca-Davies is right in saying Brexit will bring about some of the biggest changes children and young people would face in their adult lives – but it’s hard to see how we can be sure these views are theirs and not views fed to them by adults around them. Grown-ups are all too responsive to propaganda, but how well-armed are infants against it?

Children aged between seven and 11 will be asked for their opinions in school, while those aged over 11 will be consulted through the Welsh Government’s youth voice project, Young Wales.

While it is to be welcomed that a real attempt is being made to engage young people in politics, care must be taken to ensure they are not indoctrinated one way or the other. If not, you can imagine the protests.