Student council or Student body is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student government, Associated Student Body, Student Activity Council, Student Council Association or S.C.A. Student councils often serve to engage students in learning about democracy and leadership, as originally espoused by John Dewey in Democracy and Education (1917).

About[link]

The student council helps share students’ ideas, interests, and concerns with teachers and school principals. They often also help raise funds for school-wide activities, including social events, community projects and school reform. For example most schools do food drives, fundraisers and parties.^[1][2] Many members learn skills that were an extension of their formal education.

According to several schools:

"A Student Council is a representative structure for students only, 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 its students."^[3]

Function[link]

Student councils operate in many forms. There are representative-based and modeled loosely after the U.S. Congress, or based on the Executive Branch of the United States, with a President, Vice-President, secretary, treasurer, and reporter. In this form student representatives and officers are usually elected from and by the student body, although there may be prerequisites for candidacy or suffrage. In elementary schools, there are typically one or two student representatives per classroom and one presiding set of officers. However, many secondary schools have one set of officers per grade level.

An example of the structure of an elementary student council may include a president, a vice president, secretary, treasurer, sergeant of legs, fundraising officer and historian. These roles may be assigned or voted on, either within the student council or by the entire student body. They may also reflect descending grade-levels, with the president in the oldest grade, and so forth.^[4] Secondary school governments often have more independence and power than younger governments. Often a student government is overseen by a sponsor, which is usually a teacher at that particular school. Most junior or middle school student councils have a constitution of some sort and usually do not have a judicial branch.^[5] Compared to elementary school councils, junior high and high school councils generally have fewer people.

In some schools, a student council representative is assigned to each class. That person passes on requests, ideas and complaints from students in that class to the student council. In other schools, the elected Class Officers are automatically members of the student council.^[6]

Student councils usually do not have funding authority and generally must generate their operating funds through fundraisers such as car washes and bake sales.^[7] Some student councils have a budget from the school, along with responsibility for funding a variety of student activities within a school.

Regional and national structures[link]

Student councils can join larger associations, and in the United States, the National Association of Student Councils. In Canada, the Canadian Association of Student Activity Advisors coordinates the national scene,^[8] and in the United Kingdom an organization called involver provides training, support and coordination for the nation's student councils^[9]

United States[link]

• National Association of Student Councils ^[10]
• California Association of Student Councils ^[11]
• Texas Association of Student Councils ^[12]
• Oklahoma Association of Student Councils ^[13]
• Oregon Association of Student Councils
• Pennsylvania Association of Student Council^[14]
• Michigan Associations of Student Councils and Honor Societies^[15]*
• Northeast District Student Council
• Illinois Association of Student Councils
• Biddeford High School Student Council^[16]
• New Mexico Association of Student Councils^[17]
• Holy Redeemer High School Student Leadership Council – Joseph C. Sebastianelli served as its first Student Government President from 2008 to 2009.

Israel[link]

Israel's national student and youth council (Hebrew: מועצת התלמידים והנוער הארצית) is an elected body representing all youth in Israel since 1993. Representatives are elected democratically from district youth councils. (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Center, Haifa, Arab sector, South, and North). The council comprises youth from the different sectors: religious, secular, Jewish, Arab, Druse and a Bedouin representative. The National Youth Council representatives mediate between Government decision makers and the Youth representatives. They participate in the various "Knesset" (the Israeli parliament) committees: Education, internal Affairs, Violence, Drugs and Science. Youth representatives participate in committees dealing with youth-related issues such as: childrens' rights, violence, delinquency and youngsters at risk - cut off from mainstream youth. Youth representatives also participate in discussions concerning matriculation examinations, discussing a national project on school trips, delegations Youth representatives youth, are invited by high officials, ministers and even the president and officials from foreign countries. Israel's national student and youth council is the first youth council in the world that made student rights legislation. In 2006 graduates of the Israel's national student and youth council founde an association named Bematana. The association's mission is to promote young leaders who are elected as representatives in student and youth councils in Israel. in 2012 the Israel's national student and youth council held the International Youth Leadership Conference under the slogan "Take The Lead!"

Finland[link]

Secondary high schools, lukio, and vocational schools in Finland have student councils. They incorporate all the students of the institution but their status is marginal, locally and nationally. Legislation demands that they should be heard in all matters pertaining to the education in the institution, but this is often not done.

Ireland[link]

Since 1998 in Ireland there has been sustained development of student councils in post primary schools. In 2001 the Union of Secondary Students was founded as the National Umbrella body to organize and coordinate the national campaign efforts of the student councils. The Union of Secondary Students has a membership of 13% of post primary students in the Republic of Ireland, and the number is increasing.

Norway[link]

All schools in Norway are required by law to have a student council elected by the students. The aim of student council is usually to improve their school through encouraging social, cultural and other extracurricular events in the local community. The student councils in Norway are governed by a Board of Directors which is either elected directly or by the student council.

Singapore[link]

In Singapore many secondary schools have a student council, which provides a medium for communication between the students and the school administration, a form of student welfare, and an important event-organising body. Some secondary schools name their student council like "Student Leader Board", etc.

Spain[link]

Most of the universities in Spain have student councils which are regulated by law. Some of the basic points are the 24% of student representation in the board. Each university council is elected by universal suffrage of the students.

Bulgaria[link]

In Bulgaria most of the universities have a student council, regulated by law and the regulations of each university. The biggest one in Bulgaria is the Student Council of Sofia University - http://students.uni-sofia.bg/

India[link]

In India, Student Councils have been introduced in all Kendriya Vidyalayas. Many other private institutions have adopted Student Councils.

See also[link]

• Student voice
• Student court

References[link]