Aberdeenshire councillors have been warned a mock school referendum on Scottish independence has the potential to be hijacked.
Education director Maria Walker said staging such an event might offer potential for the outcome to be “manipulated by the pro- or anti-independence lobbies.”
However, Aberdeenshire’s education committee will be asked to approve the staging of the schools referendum on independence for Scotland in the autumn.
The 2010 schools general election and 2011 schools Scottish Parliament election were cornerstones of Aberdeenshire Council’s wider electoral participation strategy.
Education director Maria Walker said: “It is the hope of the electoral participation sub-group, in accordance with the view previously expressed by elected members, that a programme of schools elections will be pursued in coming years, enabling as many secondary pupils across Aberdeenshire as possible to have the opportunity to experience large scale and authentic examples of participatory democracy.”
Proposed events will also include a European parliament election in 2014, general election in 2015 and the schools Scottish parliamentary election in 2016.
Ms Walker added: “There are undoubtedly some additional considerations, not least political ones, about staging such an event and the potential it might theoretically offer for the outcome to be manipulated by the pro- or anti-independence lobbies.
“This in itself is clearly no reason not to stage the event but it must be recognised that there are some issues which need careful management and in such a way that officers, in particular, are not open to any accusations of political partiality. It is therefore considered necessary to seek support from elected members before progressing arrangements for such an event.”
Assuming legislation is eventually passed to enable the lowering of the referendum voting age to 16, a fairly sizeable number of those pupils would be eligible to vote in the “real” national referendum 12 months later.
However, Ms Walker said that as long as all teachers and other officers involved continue to demonstrate the impartiality and professionalism so amply shown in the 2010 and 2011 schools election events, any concerns about unfairly influencing a part of the electorate would be without foundation.
She added: “It is also recognised that there may, in theory, be issues relating to parental consent for their children to take part in an event of this nature and this consideration would also be explored further in the planning of the project.”
The issue will be brought before councillors on Thursday.
* Dundee and Perth and Kinross councils said they had no plans just yet to hold a mock independence election in schools.
However, Angus Council said it does have plans for a mock election, but a spokeswoman said they were “very aware of the sensitivities involved”.
She said: “It is very likely that schools will engage in ‘mock’ elections and referendums in coming months, although timescales and details have not yet been decided.
“School staff have long experience in organising these events and are very aware of the sensitivities involved.”
Fife Council had not responded at the time of going to press.