Helen Hayes has launched a Commons inquiry into how schools should prepare 16 and 17-year-olds in England for the proposed extension of the franchise.
The Education Committee, which she chairs, will consider citizenship and personal, social, health and economic education, as well as the contribution of other subjects, extracurricular activities and youth settings.
MPs will examine how teachers can address polarising political questions while remaining impartial and avoiding bias. The inquiry will also consider how education can help pupils recognise misinformation and disinformation.
The Government proposes to lower the voting age through the Representation of the People Bill, which is at committee stage in the House of Lords. People aged 16 and 17 can already vote in elections for the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd.
Citizenship is currently compulsory from Year 7 to Year 11 but not in primary school. The Government has agreed to require citizenship teaching in the earlier years and plans to consult on the curriculum.
Hayes said the inquiry was "not about steering young people in a particular direction or telling them what to think", but about what is needed "to make every young person an active, engaged and discerning member of our democracy".
The committee will also seek lessons from places that have already lowered the voting age to 16, including Scotland, Wales, Malta and Austria.
