Years ago, history and especially civics lessons of school, drilled into my head the fact that India is a democratic nation and was endorsed by its definition being 'of the people, for the people, by the people'. This definition stays indelible in my memory to this day. It was only much later that I realized the true meaning of democracy and understood the fact that true democracy is strengthened only when there is an active participation from its citizens.

"Giving a voice to students by creating a 'Students Voice' in your school can be a great gift for them this year"

The rule of democracy applies to all aspects of our society and educational institutions are no exception. A strong democracy needs strong thinkers and strong decision makers and if schools are made 'for the students' then schools should function with the philosophy 'by the students' in as many aspects of school administration as possible. This is perhaps the need of the hour and Schools have to groom children to be leaders and visionaries for the future to be.

I strongly believe that s chools can empower students to participate in as many school based activities as possible by introducing a simple system called 'Student Voice' that allows the students to have a say in the functioning of the school. It is a great way for schools to work democratically as its prime beneficiaries- the students get involved in the
decision making process thereby adding value to the overall system of governance of the School .

Offhand I can think of several areas where student participation and suggestions can be a great asset. A task force of students can play a positive role in addressing disciplinary issues or evaluating teacher's performance or framing school timetables. Students can be assigned the tasks of leading classroom sessions or evaluating the performance of their peers. Simple decisions like choosing the new colour of their uniform, canteen menu, choice of classroom infrastructure, colour scheme for classroom walls can be taken by students. It no doubt requires foresight and there should be handholding and supervision from teachers to ensure that the concerns of too much freedom are addressed.

Every school boasts of special talents and intelligence among their students. Mere showcasing and honouring their achievements is not sufficient. Special talents need to be effectively channelised and utilized for the larger benefit of the school. Having worked with innumerable students over the past decade I am convinced that students have the necessary creativity and drive to be a part of the decision making process of a school. Unfortunately they do not get enough opportunities to express their responsibility.

Several schools already have a system that involves students in the decision making process. Expanding the scope of this system to involve more students in varied issues can do wonders. All of us agree that students today are far more aware, have a lot more enthusiasm and are constantly restless to do something. I would like to believe that by
giving responsibility to the youth we can channelise their latent potential to positive goals.

Our nation celebrates Childrens Day this month. Giving a voice to students by creating a 'Students Voice' in your school can be a great gift for them this year. Let your school evolve into being a space where the students get a first hand understanding of democracy.

sultan@activitiyindia.com