The idea of a school council is used around the world; certain students from different age groups meeting regularly to discuss and change their school for the better.
KTS has a council with 35 members, each representing their own form and in previous years the council has made significant changes to the school. They got lunch prices reduced and invented the KTS Christmas Fete, for example but recently no new concepts have been introduced. Why?
I have been in the school council since year 7. I saw it as an exciting opportunity to have my voice heard and to take on the responsibility of representing 25 other students. I also wanted to join, thanks to my interest in debating, so I put my name forward and was voted in. This is a common story shared between many members especially lower down the school. It is a system that hasn’t changed.
Other systems have changed though. The council used to have individual working groups that you could sign up to, these met outside of main meetings and reported on what they have been doing when a full council meeting was held. This is how the EST (Energy and Sustainability Team) started five years ago. It is now a respected organisation within the school with over 15 dedicated members and one that has made significant changes within the school. These include the introduction of the chickens, the crackdown on litter and recycling.
Other working groups also made changes, for example the new lunchtime queuing system from the canteen working group. As well as these permanent groups seasonal groups were also set up such as a team to organise the Comic Relief fundraising events. The first KTS Christmas Fete was originally just an idea thrown in the pot by Monica Yianni and later that idea led to a working group. It is now an annual event. For many it is the highlight of the KTS Christmas calendar.
Since then the school council hasn’t really made any new changes to the school and how it is run. They have continued to support old ideas and have backed up other plans by the senior leadership team. I don’t know why the working group system was removed but no teacher has been in charge of the school council for more than a year over the past few years, so the previous consistency was lost.
The council’s lack of changes started a downward spiral in my mind. I have always represented the same people and in year 8 and 9. They have given me some good ideas that I have taken to meetings. These ideas were then discussed and some were mentioned to the governors when the council spoke at their meetings. Recently, I haven’t been given any exciting new ideas just complaints that whatever they say doesn’t make a difference. The trust in the school council to make changes has been lost.
If no new ideas are being discussed then no changes can be made so the spiral sets in. This is reflected in meetings because old topics like gum and form rooms keep being discussed instead of new ideas like soup in the canteen.
If the school council isn’t making changes, then what is it doing you may ask? This is where, strangely, a defence for the school council can be made. The school council is going under a transformation from a teacher run club to a proper student body, run by students representing students.
Callum Crawford was recently elected chairman of the school council and he now runs meetings. Students are given the chance to debate set ideas and then present their ideas to the rest of the council. It is hard to get new ideas debated but if you want to develop debating and speaking skills then it is the place to go.
Even though the school council isn’t making many changes the people in it are learning valuable life skills that will ultimately help them more than suggesting a football tournament that is then organised partly by teachers and being told “Well Done”.
You could also say that if there are no new ideas then the school council has made all the necessary changes and everyone is happy with the school. If someone is not then they should tell their councillor what they want to happen instead of just complaining. I think all councillors would prefer constructive ideas that would kick start new and exciting changes. Is it then all the students fault for the lack of changes?
Whatever the case, right now the council isn’t making any changes but I’m not sure that is a bad thing. The next prime minister could still be in the school council learning valuable skills so I say well done Callum for taking charge of the school council even if it is now a more realistic version of debate club and I hope it continues developing KTS’s budding politicians.