Clarke considers ‘coming of age’ ceremonies
The Government is considering a ‘coming of age’ ceremony for Britain’s youth to celebrate their passage into adulthood.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke is keen on having young people celebrate their 18th birthdays with a citizenship ceremony, akin to the affirmation ceremonies held in Australia and similar events in the US, Canada and Japan.
The ceremony would act as focal point for “inclusive citizenship”, he said, marking the gaining of the right to vote and greater independence from parents.
The plans run in tandem with a raft of proposals in the home office’s new strategy, ‘improving opportunity, strengthening society’, aimed at building “a strong and cohesive society”.
A pilot scheme would be composed over the next nine months, the home office said, with Britain possibly holding its first “citizenship day” this October.
The idea builds on the home office’s introduction of ceremonies for new migrants last year, in which new residents to the British Isles swear an allegiance to the Queen, sing the national anthem and pledge loyalty to land’s law.
Home Office Minister, Fiona Mactaggart, said: “It is about a rite of passage.
“New entrants to citizenship who come from another citizenship have been given a rite of passage and it has worked, despite the cynics. It might increase voting among young people, for example. It might increase their interest in contributing to society.”
Mark Oaten, the Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesman, said the ceremony would patronise 18-year-olds.
“These are issues which should have been tackled at school, not in a quick-fix ceremony,” he said.
