Issues identified by students:
Click on the image below to read the issues students identified in more detail.
Student perspectives of Student Voice in Action in BCE:
At the 2020 Festival of Ideas student delegates explored the 3 key elements of student voice:
how these elements are currently implemented in schools
the challenges to achieving them
Hopes and dreams on how it could be in the future
Here is what delegates shared:
| What current examples of this do you see in schools?
| What are the current challenges to achieve this in schools?
| What are your future hopes and dreams of how this could happen in schools?
|
Accepting responsibility for not only what you say but what needs to be done
| - Student or college representative councils (SRCs/CRCs)
- Student leadership (Year 12 captains)
- Peer mentoring / Big Sister programs
- Community groups (over many year levels) (gender split groups)
- Principals and staff accept responsibility
- Sporting days run by students
- Student-run extra-curricular activities
- Development built into PCs
- Student run activities (e.g. tech free Tuesdays)
- Opportunities for student input events (e.g. mini Festival of Ideas)
| - Leaders may not do enough (status-based elections)
- Tokenistic movements
- Complaints of students about problems caused by them
- Teachers/staff not listening
- Complaints about things that can't change but not helping themselves to cope
- Student wellbeing isn't considered
- Division between what students want and what happens
- Staff take student ideas but don't let students later participate/organise
- Student clubs are organised/run by staff
- Staff views are pushed on students
- Overt discrimination / lack of respect
- No student-led activities/clubs
- No team/committee to put forward student ideas
| - Students listened to
- Connections to make change
- Form new relationships
- Students are taught how to contribute in an effective way
- EVERY student has the opportunity to voice their opinion
- Sense of inclusivity
- Everyone steps up and accepts responsibility
- Teachers let students take responsibility
- No complaints; just working effectively
- Voice not noise
- Everyone displays open-mindedness
- Every age and voice is equally respected
- Students mingle openly (buddy system / advice)
|
Offering realistic suggestions and expectations for the good of the whole
| - SRCs/CRCs
- Class captains, student leadership
- Students take charge of the solution
- Build student clubs in collaboration with teachers
- Encourage student participation when students run school events
- Containers for Change
- Communication – better means
| - CYBERBULLYING
- Offered suggestions don't always happen
- Staff not following through
- Clubs are not open to all
- COMMITMENT from schools, students and staff
- Student division; doesn't feel inclusive
- Gathering voice to get ideas heard
- POPULARITY within students
- Teachers telling students what to say/do
- Reluctance to share ideas
- Admin team's involvement
- Respect – others/opinions
- Hard to get things going
- Communication between students, parents and schools
- Students' wellbeing
| - Suggestions are making an impact
- Improvements at school
- Engagement
- Voice is heard and Ideas put into action
- Openly speak up without being judged by peers and staff members
- Greenery at school
- Student not being a bystander
- Everyone feels safe
- There are opportunities to be heard using different platforms/methods
|
Sharing genuine thoughts, ideas and opinions in an environment underpinned by trust and respect
| - SRCs/CRCs
- Class discussions/debates
- Student discussions
- School/class captains
- Guidance counsellors aren't necessarily helping
- Classroom environment isn't created on the basis of trust
- SRCs are voted based on status and not necessarily ability or passion to lead
| - Intimidating to raise ideas
- Age/power/division
- No link between voice and action
- Lot of stages to be heard
- Stigma
- Teachers/students voting for leadership isn't fair
- Not a lot of action – SRCs/CRCs
- Hard to put hand up
- Teachers' opinions
- No say
- Discouraged
- Inaccessible – people not interested
- lack of trust
| - Being engaged in general
- Voice put into action instantly
- Suggestion boxes: student voices are taken into consideration
- Student/teacher councils
- Having a balance between popular/outgoing leaders and those that actually do the work
- Platform for students to put hand up confidentiality
- Acknowledge that you are allowed to have an opinion
- Revamping SRC/CRC
- Committed
- SRC program like Festival of Ideas – Teaching noise and voice
|
Showcase your school:
We want to showcase the great things happening around student voice, agency and participation in BCE schools. Contact us to start a conversation about how we can showcase your school on this site!