Civics education that teaches students about the government and the law should be compulsory in schools, according to the national children's commissioner.
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In a speech to the parliamentary inquiry looking into lowering the voting age, Megan Mitchell said better education was needed to ensure young people were prepared to vote.
"[Civics education] is pretty ad hoc around Australia," Ms Mitchell said.
"It depends on the individual schools. There's no compulsion to do it, and I would strongly support compulsivity in that regard."
Ms Mitchell was in favour of allowing 16 and 17 year olds voting rights, but said if the system was non-compulsory it would send mixed messages to the wider public.
"Having a mixed system could be problematic in terms of the messages it gives out and the quality of what you get back," Ms Mitchell said.
"However, I would say that when I have those conversations with children and young people about wanting a vote earlier in their lives, they don't want it to be compulsory. Some don't want to be put in a position where they have to vote."
Ms Mitchell said in her talks with young people, many were keen to have their say on issues taking place in Parliament House that affected them.
"Kids want to be engaged, and they get frustrated when they can't participate in important decisions," she said.
"I think the same-sex marriage debate is a case in point where they were frustrated about that."
The children's commissioner said introducing civics education into high school was a way to boost engagement among young voters at the ballot box.
Participation rates for 18 to 24 year olds in federal elections were among the lowest; 86.7 per cent of people in that demographic voted at the 2016 federal election.
"At 16 and 17 ... they're also within a learning environment where we can equip them to be more informed and ready for full adulthood and that doesn't happen with our youngsters now," Ms Mitchell said.
"It's one of the reasons we get all the low engagement with the 18 to 24 year olds. We kind of lose a whole youth generation by not starting this process earlier."
While most submissions made to the inquiry were supportive of the change to lower the voting, the Australian Christian Lobby and the Young Liberals were against the proposal.
In its submission, the Christian lobby's managing director Martyn Iles said making voting for 16 and 17 year olds non-compulsory would "skew the current system of compulsory voting".
"The result will likely be that those who choose to vote will be a minority of highly informed young people and those who have been politicised through minority organisations," Mr Iles said.
A report is expected to be handed from the inquiry to the parliament by December.
