Importance of Students Council in International Schools

Whenever I ask my family and friends about the any phase of their life, which they miss the most, and the answer I get for this question is that most of them miss their school days. That’s so true; we all miss the days as students and the life at school. We all agree on the notion that the years spent as a student are the most amazing and dynamic years in everyone’s life, as they are the formative years that lays the foundation and makes it stronger. Perhaps that is the reason why American civil right activist Cesar Chavez quoted – "Students must have initiative; they should not be mere imitators. They must learn to think and act for themselves--and be free."IB schools in India have been following this notion since a long time and as part of their drive to make the students think for themselves, haveformed Student Councils in their schools for overall development of the students.



Student councilsare formed on the simple principle of democracy i.e. "of the people, by the people and for the people". The member students of the council are elected from all the classes, levels or departments by the students and teachers of the school. These students then make sure that there is a channelized system for the representation of the fellow students’ views and demands. It highly resembles the parliament system. Student council is an international school programme that aims to instil qualities like discipline, responsibility, leadership in the students, in order to equip them to face the real life problems.



Many IB schools in India have formed student council in their schools as a part of the character building programme. Participating in student council bring a positive transformation in the students and helps them to build up a strong character, which helps to pave the path of success.Nowadays, we can see that the students have zero tolerance levels, their temper go amok in petty issues. The students participating student council learns to interact with their fellow students and to listen to their problems and views, thus developinga strong tolerance and sense of respect for other person’s views.



Moreover, the activities of the student council help the students to become more interactive with the teachers, thus making the students-teachers relationship stronger. Apart from bridging the gap between the teachers and the students, being part of the international school programme it aim to make the students good citizens, as the students of the council listen to the other students’ problem and strive to sort out the same. This makes them treat fellow students with respect and cooperate with them.



Other fellow students look up to their friends in the student council as leaders, whorepresent them, fight for their demands and get them their legitimate demands fulfil. The students who are a part of the student council develop leadership qualities as they learn to take responsibility. They also learn to develop a compassionate attitude for their fellow students. Being a part of the student council, the students also learn to solve problems on their own, thus developing independent personality. It is the outcome of the student council that we find student of IB schools in India an edge above the average Indian students.



Student council in many IB schools in Mumbai take the responsibility to conduct extracurricular activities. Thus the students develop self confidence, as they get to interact with different people for the successful execution of the programmes.



It is very important that students learn some useful qualities from school, apart from just receiving bookish education. Student councils leads to an all round development of the students.