Student Councils - Do we really need them?

Schools in Bangladesh have never been a fan of students voicing their own opinions about how the school is run. It's common belief here that young people are naïve and make mistakes and so should not be trusted with great responsibilities. However, more and more schools worldwide are now putting emphasis on what the students have to say and are letting them create changes in schools. Should we follow in their footsteps?

Student councils are not given the highest esteem here in our country but they are still prevalent in many schools which aspire to be on a par with prestigious institutions around the world. However, our schools fail to grasp the actual concept of "student voice."

The student council in my school is basically nothing more than an event management group. Our opinions do not matter at all to the school administration and we are forced to keep our mouths shut about anything that we believe needs to be changed. Student minds are greater than this. Student opinions need to be taken into consideration on more pressing issues. Countries like USA, Canada, and the UK have introduced much more influential councils that can have representatives on the school board.

Student Voice, What Kids Can Do, Learning for a Cause, and SoundOut are a few notable organisations that promote student voice. Their main aim is to show people that the youth of their nations are capable of making informed decisions and should be allowed to influence how their own education system works. Starting from things like the cafeteria food, the cleanliness of school toilets, to things like the quality of teachers and the method by which the curriculum is taught — students should have the right to speak up about any issue. Neither the school, nor the administration's say should be final and binding. 

There are, however, concerns regarding the extent to which students should take part in making school decisions. Not everyone is capable of making mindful decisions. What the councils look for are students with leadership skills. A competition for a place in the council sometimes leads to unhealthy politics, which is one of the core reasons why student councils are often unsuccessful. 

Student councils also play an important role in shaping students for the future. Students get a taste of what it's like in the real world; they learn how to tackle new challenges and become a lot more responsible. Who knows, these young council members could even be future world leaders. Local school councils may be behind in terms of letting the students take any decision that really matters, but they still do teach students these invaluable skills. 

Universities worldwide prefer students who have been part of their school's councils because they also believe that student councils are the perfect platform for future influential individuals. Our schools need to understand that student councils have the potential to both enrich the school and the students.