Case Studies

Proposals to encourage school leavers to swear an oath of allegiance to Queen and country were largely met with derision by teenagers in Glasgow yesterday.

Among those debating the issue at the city's Hillhead High School was Kavin Ryan-Hume, who said he would refuse to take the oath.

"We're currently in Iraq trying to bring about democracy, and here in our own country we're considering whether to swear allegiance to someone who's not even democratically elected," said the 17-year-old. "The Queen has her place, but these days she's all about tourism. She has as much of a say in what we do as an attraction like Alton Towers does."

Liam Burns, 17, agreed. "Most people see the Queen as irrelevant and outdated. The only time I hear her mentioned in Glasgow is when sectarian songs are being sung."

For Sam Gillen-Moore, 17, citizenship ceremonies would divide rather than unite UK communities. "It won't make us feel more British. It will be divisive and encourage an us and them' situation."

Richard McQuarrie, 17 agreed. "There's a danger people will feel forced by obligation to take part in this. If you don't participate, will you be seen as less patriotic - when you're not?" he asked. "Living in a democracy means you're free to debate and have your own opinions, but when people unite behind a flag, it can become an emotional issue. They see it as: you're against this flag, you're against us'."

But Georgina Ogilvie, 17, argued that the proposals would be good for society. "We have more to be proud of than ashamed of in this country," she said. "I would be comfortable with an oath if it was worded in a way people didn't have to sacrifice their own religious beliefs."

Ademola Fabuyi, 16, said: "People coming together and becoming nationally aware is not a bad thing, as such, but a vague pledge to some random woman and the country doesn't mean anything.

"The UK is a good country - you don't have to pledge allegiance to it to be patriotic."

Alistair Dunbar, 17, criticised the proposals as a "brief PR campaign" and the report author, Lord Goldsmith, as out-of-touch.

"We're living in a time of great Scottish pride," said the teenager. "This is just another lord saying something totally out of place. He doesn't know what the Queen means to people in Scotland."