We are:
Tilly, Pia, Maisie, Nienke, Ilana, Ceolán, Ethan, Lucy, Sophia, Tom, Sé, Noah, Ashley, Mieke and Senan and we are the Student Council Representatives for 1st Class and up.
Sanvi, Finn, Summer and Dara are our Student Council Advisors: members of last year's Student Council who give their support and advise on our work!
Democracy and democratic values are a core part of what an Educate Together school is all about. Educate Together schools are run as participatory democracies, with respectful partnership between students, parents and school staff. This means that all members of a school community are supported and encouraged to make meaningful contributions to decision-making. A key part of a democratic school community is its Student Council.
A Student Council is a representative structure for students, through which they can become involved in the affairs of the school, working in partnership with school management, staff and parents for the benefit of the school and the students.
Student councils at primary level
The aim of the Student Council at primary level is to provide students with greater involvement in the decision making procedures of their school and to help them learn about how democracy works. Generally two children from each class are elected by secret ballot and are appointed as representatives for their class to the council for the duration of the school year. Infant classes tend to be represented by two elected pupils from 6th Class. Children in the senior classes can run campaigns asking their fellow students to vote for them ahead of the election.
Student Councils generally meet several times each term. These meetings are facilitated by a teacher with council representatives collecting ideas and suggestions for the agenda from each class ahead of each meeting. Suggestions are then discussed, prioritised and are brought to the attention of the school’s principal and to staff meetings. In Educate Together Primary Schools Student Councils have been responsible for a number of positive changes in their respective schools, such a 6th Class-Junior Infant Buddy System, fundraising for new sports equipment and a campaign to install a zebra crossing outside the school.