[Deputy Manager Column] Is the School Ready for the 'Voting at Age 18'?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"There will probably be politicians campaigning in front of school gates on the way to school. But even if adults shake hands and receive a business card while passing by, they don't necessarily vote for that candidate. This party's candidate criticizes that party's candidate, and if a teacher makes a comment during class, would students be swayed to vote for or against someone because of that?"

At the end of last year, after many twists and turns, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Public Official Election Act, allowing 18-year-old youths to have voting rights. Starting this year, the number of high school seniors eligible to vote will increase by about 560,000, and about 10% of them can participate in the upcoming April 15 general election. Until now, among the 36 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), South Korea was the only country that allowed voting rights only at age 19.

In a social atmosphere that does not trust the political judgment of 18-year-olds, most students in this age group have been immersed in entrance exam education. Meanwhile, concerns have been raised that young people lack political awareness or that teachers' politically biased remarks might influence students.

In fact, the youths themselves are very active in expressing political opinions and participating in elections. According to a 2017 survey conducted by the Korea Youth Policy Institute on 1,430 high school students nationwide, 65.9% of respondents agreed to lower the voting age to 18, while only 18.4% opposed it. One high school student argued, "To say that because of lack of social experience, we cannot even express our opinions on what kind of country we want to live in is a disregard for the people."

What is more worrisome than students' political judgment is that our school environment is completely unprepared for political and election education. The Ministry of Education has only now hurriedly decided to consult with the Central Election Commission to outline and guide the scope of permitted election campaigns and election education to ensure that students and teachers do not engage in activities violating election laws during this general election. Since this will be merely a 'guideline,' considerable controversy and confusion are inevitable during the approximately one and a half months from the start of the new semester in March until the election.

More fundamentally, proper political and social education is needed for students from now on. While some schools have been encouraging students to take an interest in politics and elections through democratic citizenship education and occasion-based education, going forward, education should enable students to freely discuss social issues and political topics among themselves and directly judge which candidate's claims are right or wrong and the pros and cons of their pledges.

As seen in the recent Inheon High School incident, if education shifts into ideological disputes, conflicts spread uncontrollably. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's decision not to disclose the names of 40 elementary, middle, and high schools conducting a 'mock election project' in line with the general election, to avoid unnecessary controversy, raises concerns that it might become an obstacle for students to confidently express their political views.

/ Jo In-kyung, Deputy Head of Social Affairs Department ikjo@