‘Students should be at those meetings’: High schoolers to be represented in governing councils

Students would have a say in how their school plans for the future under an overhaul of South Australian public high schools. Tell us what you think in our poll.

Students could soon have a say in how their schools are run after Education Minister Blair Boyer proposed mandating greater pupil participation in decision making on campus.

Mr Boyer’s proposal included “weaving into the legislation that as a requirement” all secondary schools must have student representation on their governing councils, which decide the future direction of sites.

The role of a governing council in schools includes strategic planning, determining policies and application of financial resources and it usually includes school leaders and parents.

Under the proposal, governing councils on secondary campuses would transition to a model which includes two student members and primary schools would have the option for pupil representation.

Max and Charlotte attended Blackwood High School. Under the Education Minister’s proposal, all secondary schools would have to have student representation on their governing councils. Pic RoyVPhotography

“I think students should be at those meetings, having a say and that’s one of the things I’d like to do,” Mr Boyer said.

“I would like to see those ideas at local sites be considered and tell students that we aren’t just going to pay lip service to your ideas.

“We actually might take them seriously and do something about it which means that someone else might speak up.”

Creating a requirement through legislation would ensure “schools are forced to listen to what students are saying”.

Yanni, Lauren, Katie and Rudra attend Adelaide High School. Mr Boyer said creating a requirement through legislation would ensure “schools are forced to listen to what students are saying”. Picture: Emma Brasier

Mr Boyer said he thought “students should be at those meetings”. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Mr Boyer asked the Education Department to introduce pupil representatives on governing councils after speaking with students on the SA SRC, an initiative run by the Commissioner for Children and Young People Helen Connolly.

While student representation is a feature at some sites, Mr Boyer believes “we have been lacking in terms of having a student voice at that level”.

“Some schools do it and do it well,” he said.

“A lot of important decisions about how a school is run are made at the school board or governing council meeting.”

He announced the proposal at an event at Parliament House in which The Advertiser’s Teen Parliamentarians questioned him about the biggest issues facing students.

Teen Parliament participant Haylie Staunton prompted the announcement from Education Minister Blair Boyer. Picture: Brett Hartwig

The announcement was prompted when Nuriootpa High School year 10 student Haylie Staunton asked Mr Boyer about opportunities for young people to have their voices heard.

“I do take student voice really really seriously and in no small part because you come along to things like Teen Parliament and some of the ideas are fantastic ideas that we should adopt,” he said.

In February, 30 students tackled the big issues in South Australia as they took the places of the state’s politicians in Parliament House.

The students’ discussions in Teen Parliament 2025 mirrored debate playing out in South Australian and national politics, covering topics such as speed limits, nuclear power and drug rehabilitation.

Originally published as ‘Students should be at those meetings’: High schoolers to be represented in governing councils