Should 'pupil's council' be banned from schools???

Philip Dalton · 04/12/13 - 02:08

I was a member of this when I was in high school. I don't see the harm in it personally as it is merely just children suggesting ideas instead of telling teachers how to run the school. Some, though, may see it as just another example of the lack of discipline in schools today where kids are allowed to get 'too big for their boots' thanks to loony 'liberals' and 'do-gooders'.

Actually it was initially the idea of someone called O'Neal who opened a very liberal school where children didn't even have to go to any lessons if they didn't feel like it.

DrFlowDemand · 04/12/13 - 02:33

What makes you ask, have you heard of a school that's recently got rid of or banned one?

Philip Dalton · 04/12/13 - 02:38

DrFlowDemand wrote: »

What makes you ask, have you heard of a school that's recently got rid of or banned one?

No I haven't.

Philip Dalton · 04/12/13 - 02:43

I don't see the harm in it personally, we didn't do anything wrong at these 'pupil's council' meetings like being insolent or giving cheek to the teachers. But it was initially the idea of someone who believed in giving children too much freedom all the same.

Philip Dalton · 04/12/13 - 03:20

Actually I spelt the name wrong of the man responsible for coming up with the idea of 'Pupil's Council'. His name is spelt O'Neill, not O'Neal. Here is the website of his radical school

http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/

fhs man 2 · 04/12/13 - 03:27

I don't think it should be banned, it gives Pupil's a voice.

FMKK · 04/12/13 - 03:29

What is the point of this thread if they are well established, aren't under any threat and the OP agrees with them?

Of course students should have a voice in education - the schools are supposed to be for them.

Sigurd · 04/12/13 - 03:32

Philip Dalton wrote: »

Actually I spelt the name wrong of the man responsible for coming up with the idea of 'Pupil's Council'. His name is spelt O'Neill, not O'Neal. Here is the website of his radical school

http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/

His name was actually A.S. Neill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._S._Neill

Philip Dalton · 04/12/13 - 03:43

FMKK wrote: »

What is the point of this thread if they are well established, aren't under any threat and the OP agrees with them?

Of course students should have a voice in education - the schools are supposed to be for them.

Yes, I do agree with them, I used to be in one myself, but the point of the thread is to ask other's opinion on the subject.

However, I do think this A.S. Neill took his liberalism too far-as well as giving students a choice in education he also gave them the option to opt out of having an education altogether.

This is wrong on all levels-if you won't send your child to school you have to prove they are receiving lessons but if you just happen to send them to his school they don't even have to attend any lessons at all if they don't feel like it.

All children should me made to learn at least until they are of the legal school leaving age.

Croctacus · 04/12/13 - 03:45

No caning, thrashing or enforced hairwashing at that school I'll bet.

Philip Dalton · 04/12/13 - 03:48

Croctacus wrote: »

No caning, thrashing or enforced hairwashing at that school I'll bet.

I think there must be enforced hairwashing when there's an outbreak of nits amongst them, it's a boarding school so how else are they supposed to deal with it?

Croctacus · 04/12/13 - 03:52

You dont just wash nits away.

Philip Dalton · 04/12/13 - 03:54

Croctacus wrote: »

You dont just wash nits away.

I wonder if they have a policy of shaving children's heads.

Croctacus · 04/12/13 - 04:00

Over egging it rather now.

Philip Dalton · 04/12/13 - 18:16

Here' an article on the school:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/school-with-no-rules-is-forced-to-lay-down-law-because-of-spoilt-pupils-480865.html

wns_195 · 04/12/13 - 20:36

I think pupil councils ccan be useful. They give pupils the chance to learn how to debate ideas with each other in a civilised way. They also give pupils the chance to be heard. If they are unhappy that there aren't enough sports activities during lunch breaks for example, the pupil council is a platform for them to let the school know. There should be some sort of link between pupil councils and decision makers so they can have an effect.

Thinkgs like the Youth Council are completely pointless. They can't do anything of significance to the people they're supposed to serve and exist in the hope that loads of young people will be interested in politics and having careers in politics.

Bex_123 · 04/12/13 - 21:54

Philip Dalton wrote: »

Actually I spelt the name wrong of the man responsible for coming up with the idea of 'Pupil's Council'. His name is spelt O'Neill, not O'Neal. Here is the website of his radical school

http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/

That sounds like a very unusual school. I could see it either being fantastic or awful.

crunchienut · 04/12/13 - 22:26

I was always under the impression that the 'school council' was just something that was there to give children the idea that they can actually have a say in the way the school is run, when they actually don't have any say at all (a bit like this country really

). The only things that the school council ever had any real say in was things like, how the hall was decorated for xmas.

I don't think theres any problem with that. Kids can't exactly have a say in the way a school is run, primary school kids at least.
I'm not even sure if my secondary school had a school council

Toriamath · 04/12/13 - 22:31

When I was at primary school I was part of the school council and we got to help interview the people applying to be the new headteacher. I don't think there'd be much point in banning them, they help the students have a voice but it's not like school council members actually hold any authority (at least they didn't at my school).

Philip Dalton · 04/12/13 - 22:33

Bex_123 wrote: »

That sounds like a very unusual school. I could see it either being fantastic or awful.

Actually I started a thread on it on another website & someone thought it was strange that you had to pay to send your kids there when it wasn't compulsory for them to attend lessons. In effect you could be paying for them to be taught nothing.

chopsim · 04/12/13 - 23:25

Were you JW when you were a member of this pupils council?

Philip Dalton · 05/12/13 - 02:31

chopsim wrote: »

Were you JW when you were a member of this pupils council?

Not exactly, I was going to meetings with my parents, had done since the age of six, but wasn't baptized until 17.5

It's not something they put any restriction on though, there was never any mention of such a thing in the meetings, you could be a prefect or even head boy or girl if you wanted to.

The daughter of a Jehovah's Witness osteopath was made into head girl at the school after I left. The only thing we've been told is not to get involved with the political systems of the world by voting or fighting in wars. I think signing an e-petition would probably amount to pretty much the same thing, but I'm not sure, I'm thinking of asking advice on it.

Hey there!

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