With elections this month and research still suggesting that young people feel disengaged and do not know how to get in involved in politics, Senior Deputy Head of Loretto School, East Lothian, Rachael Delaney, discusses the state of political education in schools right now, why it must evolve to meet the needs of young people today, and what schools can do to empower pupils to engage with, and take an interest in, political issues in 2026.
This month saw elections happening across the country, yet over a decade on from gaining the vote, research from Young Scot suggests 52% of young people in Scotland feel disengaged and unsure how to get involved in politics1. With 16- and 17-year-olds in England potentially voting soon, this raises an important question for all of us: how do we engage the next generation in politics in the long term?
Young people are often more thoughtful, passionate and engaged than they are given credit for. They care about climate change, equality, conflict, opportunity and the future. But too often, politics can feel distant, intimidating or inaccessible. Our role as educators is to change that by bringing pupils into the political conversation and helping them to understand both the power of democracy and the importance of their voice…