A student council is an informal school association based on citizens’ initiative that provides willing and motivated students the right to represent and protect the student body both in and out of school, to be involved in school affairs and to lead projects and improvements.
Informal activity means that opportunities and activities have been created for young people that support their development and which they can engage in voluntarily in addition to their studies. To put it even more simply: studies = formal; extracurricular activities = informal.
The main purpose of a student council is to represent student interests in school, to identify issues and be the main link between students and other stakeholders of the school (management, teachers, parents, etc). Student councils usually include students from grades 8–12, but the age restriction varies from school to school.
Student councils represent the opinions of students and try to make school life more unique and lively. For example, they initiate, lead and organise larger school events, which may take place in collaboration with a youth centre, hobby school or another school. Student councils also participate in workgroups and gather and give feedback to the management about school life. Student councils are also important partners for teachers and school management in order to make school life even better.
If you are interested in participating in the activities of a student council, remember:
- Student councils are usually open to everyone regardless of their ideas or views: everyone is welcome!
- To participate in the activities of a student council, you have to let the board of the student council or the head of extracurricular activities know you want to join, who will provide instructions for joining.
- Inform your class and your teacher about being involved in the student council because you can be an important link between the students in your class, the student council and the management.
What to do if my school does not yet have a student council?
If your school does not have a student council, you have the right to establish one because:
- Section 60 of the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act states that the student body of a school has the right to decide and independently organise the matters of student life in accordance with acts and legislation adopted based on acts, i.e. to establish and elect a student council.
- A student body has the right to elect a student council who represents the student body within the competence of the student council specified in the statutes of the student council in the internal relationships of the school and in relations with other organisations, institutions and persons.
- If you have established a student council in your school, you need to draw up the statutes of the council with the management, choose the board and members and start your activities.
Written by the Estonian School Student Councils’ Union.
