to when the age of adulthood starts and looks as if it is being done for political reasons rather than a proper argument for when the age of adulthood should begin. As for what age that should be, now that we live longer and more of us don't leave school until later, 18 does seem to be a sensible age to standardize the age of consents. Emily Thomson is a 16 year old student in Edinburgh, with an interest in politics and economics. 2 Responses to The age of consent I thought most young people would be grabbing all the rights of citizenship enthusiastically and not shying away from them. I don't think there needs to be as much confusion about appropriate behaviour and rights and responsibilities. It's really a question of common sense and good conduct. For example, take schools. It doesn't matter whether you are 16 or 17 or 18 -- or even as old as adults in the school -- with regard to conduct. Schools are perfectly entitled to say that you can't drink, smoke or have sex for that matter within the building regardless of your age and are perfectly entitled to exclude or prohibit anyone 16 years old or over who breaks these rules since 16 is the age at which statutory education ends. Then again you may feel that 16 is very young to be married as I do but it seems illogical to raise the age of marriage when the age of consent