Meet the students who will have their say on public high school councils
AN overhaul of Victorian public high school councils will make it compulsory to have two student representatives by the end of June. Meet the pupils who will soon have voting rights on school budgets and even principal selections.
Education
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AN overhaul of Victorian public high school councils will make it compulsory to have two student representatives by the end of June.
Pupils from year 7 and above are nominating for election to council, where they would have full voting rights on budgets, expenditure and even principal selections.
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No special rules or exclusions will apply to student council members, but they won’t be able to act as president or treasurer.
Upwey High School student Wren Gillett said the overhaul, which will be completed by the end of Term 2, showed students were being “taken seriously”.
“Often there’s the phrase, ‘We’re the change-makers of tomorrow’, but I actually think we’re the change-makers of today,” the 16-year-old said.
“There’s always a great emphasis on our futures and that alleviates our power to be heard in the present.
“But this shows students that our opinion and our voice matters.”
The year 11 student is among those currently nominating for the role, with only a select number of schools exempt — those with transient populations, including language, hospital and camp schools.
Temporary exemptions may also be granted to special schools, and to small and rural schools due to impracticality.
Education Minister James Merlino said students had repeatedly raised the issue of representation on council with him.
He said the mandatory change would “help school councils make better decisions”.
“These changes are all about giving students more voice in the direction of their school and to help more young Victorians develop the skills they need to be future leaders in their communities,” he said.
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Castlemaine Secondary’s Cohen Saunders, 16, hoped the change would lead to more student involvement on policies around truancy, uniforms, mobile phone use and even the books being studied in English and literature classes.
“I think more student involvement will happen and it will help teachers because it won’t leave them guessing on student perspectives,” he said.
“Students know best on what students think.”
The Department of Education will offer free training to pupils on school council so they understand the role and governing processes.
The 2018 student cohort will include one pupil elected for two years and the other for one year to align with the election cycle.
All school council members are elected for two-year terms.
IF YOU WERE ON SCHOOL COUNCIL, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
COHEN: The school’s environment policy. We’re upgrading our school and I’m not super impressed with the environmental structure of the modern buildings.
WREN: There’s not really anything that stands out. The biggest part for me is being part of the decision making processes.
MITCHELL: Our ‘Senior School Seven’ — It’s seven things the teachers wrote we have to do. It needs more student input.
MIA: Making sure that with every change that’s made we’re being heard.
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