Unlock Democracy backs UK Youth Parliament e-petition campaign on political and citizenship education

• Statement from Unlock Democracy

• For more information or to arrange a booking, email media.office@unlockdemocracy.org.uk

Unlock Democacy is urging supporters to sign an e-petition to create equitable, high-quality political and citizenship education in schools across the United Kingdom.

The petition, launched by the UK Youth Parliament, highlights the urgent need to equip young people with the knowledge and skills to engage confidently in democratic life, especially with the announcement that 16- and 17-year-olds will soon be able to vote in national and local elections across the country.

Currently, access to political and citizenship education varies significantly between schools and regions as, although these topics are statutory for schools to teach, the responsibility for planning and teaching these topics is often split between multiple, under-resourced teachers.

This leaves many young people without consistency and thus without the tools to understand how decisions are made and how they can influence them.  

It is vital we support schools with these lessons, which are often seen as an afterthought, and add consistency to this part of the curriculum. It’s for this reason Unlock Democracy is supporting the Youth Parliament UK’s campaign to urge the Government to invest in high-quality non-partisan political and citizenship lesson resources that any teacher can use.

Tom Brake, the Chief Executive of Unlock Democracy, said:

“Access to high-quality, non-partisan citizenship education should be available to all young people, not just the lucky few. It can only help to strengthen participation and trust in our democracy, at a time when both are in serious decline.”

The UK Youth Parliament argues that it is essential the Government act in order to foster informed, active citizens and strengthen our democracy in an age of AI and algorithms.

Alex Nurton, who sits on Youth Parliament’s Campaign Committee, says commitment to this is a matter of national interest:

“Currently access to political and citizenship education is a postcode lottery as many teachers lack the support to feel confident teaching these topics and students lack the consistency in lessons. With any teacher able to access high-quality, unbiased lesson resources, we can raise the standard and frequency of these lessons. Having every young person in the UK informed and equipped with the skills needed to engage in our democracy and society, is essential.

That’s why we are so grateful to have the backing of Unlock Democracy. Their support shows a recognition that the way we teach young people today will have a lasting effect on this country for decades to come and that’s why we must act now to support students and teachers with political and citizenship education.”

People can sign the e-petition and find out more about the campaign at: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/754954

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

• The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) represents young people aged 11–18 across the UK and campaigns on issues voted for by young people themselves. UKYP was founded in 1999 to give young people a voice in the political process.

• This campaign was voted as a priority by 300+ Members of Youth Parliament in the February 2025 House of Commons Sitting. These topics (per the Government guidance) include: how the UK is governed (i.e., Parliament, Democracy, the Government, and the political system); how laws are made; rights, responsibilities, and the liberties enjoyed by UK citizens; public institutions; human rights and international law; financial education; and fundamental British values.

• For media requests from the Youth Parliament UK, please contact UKYPComms@NYA.org.uk

• Unlock Democracy is a not-for-profit organisation which campaigns for a vibrant, inclusive democracy that puts power in the hands of the people. For further information, please contact media.office@unlockdemocracy.org.uk