Forum Home : Focus questions
How are schools enabling all students to be leaders?
We celebrated the "badged leaders" and valued their contribution to leading by example but we also maintained that all studdents were leaders in lots of different ways. I believe we saw the changing of the culture of the school as a result of working strategically with all students, including those elected leaders.
I am trying to encourage more students to have a 'voice' not just the one's who are on our school council who tend to be our more condident and articulate students.
I'm the Principal of the High School section of Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore. I have 2000 students (grade 7 to 10) in the High School section. What we do is to divide the school into 4 mini-schools known as consortium. Each consortium has about 500 students. Each consortium has their own Consortium Student Council and each council has 15 elected student leaders.
We have altogether 4 Consortium student Councils and an Overall Student Council. Hence we have about 80 students holding key leadership positions, they look after different groups of students under their charge.
Over and above the student council, we have many other organisations such co-curricular activities (CCA) leaders, class committees, etc. All in all,about 50% of the student populations are given some forms of leadership roles.
I hope the informaiton is useful to you.
Dr Hon
You may wish to know what our student leaders do. They organize social events for the peers as well as inter-class, inter-school and even international competitions. Examples of international events organized by our student leaders are the Asia-Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools, Student Leaders Convention, Model ASEAN Summit, etc. Some of our partner schools include The Hutchins from Tasmania, Brisbane Grammar, St Paul’s Co-ed College from Hong Kong, Nankai High School in Tianjin, Academy of Science in Virginia, and many others from India, New Zealand, UK and some ASEAN countries.
Interaction with students from different countries has given our students the opportunities to develop their cultural intelligence. Please feel free to visit our website at www.hwachong.edu.sg.
Dr Hon
Platforms like this where students are free to speak up help them to be responsible and thoughtful youth. They are involved in school policy formulation and hence they too feel the ownership of the policies that are put in place.
Dr Hon
The teams are formed around the 5 areas of school life: Leadership, Catholic Identity, Pastoral Care, Curriculum, Resources and Facilities. The emphasis is on servant leadership and students will engage in leadership and activities that serve others.
For example, the Pastoral Care Team has addressed the prevention of bullying by developing an anti-bullying program. They also act as Peer Mediators and Friend Finders. The Curriculum Team members have acted as Peer Tutors across the school. The Resources and Facilities Team has led the school in audits and practices related to sustainability and so on.
This is explicit leadership but we are also pursuing ways to build and acknowledge the way all students lead.
Online conference manager,
Australia
How are schools enabling all students to be leaders?
This thread is for the discussion of the following focus question:
How are schools enabling all students to be leaders?
DEECD School Leadership Unit,
Australia
Re: How are schools enabling all students to be leaders?
When I was principal at Portland Primary School we ensured that the key message that all students are leaders was heard loud and clear and often!
We celebrated the "badged leaders" and valued their contribution to leading by example but we also maintained that all studdents were leaders in lots of different ways. I believe we saw the changing of the culture of the school as a result of working strategically with all students, including those elected leaders.
Stocksbridge High School Sheffield,
England
Re: How are schools enabling all students to be leaders?
I would like to ask colleagues from around the world how their school has enabled students, from all backgrounds, to participate in school life, especially disaffectd students.
I am trying to encourage more students to have a 'voice' not just the one's who are on our school council who tend to be our more condident and articulate students.
Hwa Chong Institution,
Singapore
Re: How are schools enabling all students to be leaders?
Hi,
I'm the Principal of the High School section of Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore. I have 2000 students (grade 7 to 10) in the High School section. What we do is to divide the school into 4 mini-schools known as consortium. Each consortium has about 500 students. Each consortium has their own Consortium Student Council and each council has 15 elected student leaders.
We have altogether 4 Consortium student Councils and an Overall Student Council. Hence we have about 80 students holding key leadership positions, they look after different groups of students under their charge.
Over and above the student council, we have many other organisations such co-curricular activities (CCA) leaders, class committees, etc. All in all,about 50% of the student populations are given some forms of leadership roles.
I hope the informaiton is useful to you.
Dr Hon
Hwa Chong Institution,
Singapore
Re: How are schools enabling all students to be leaders?
Hi again,
You may wish to know what our student leaders do. They organize social events for the peers as well as inter-class, inter-school and even international competitions. Examples of international events organized by our student leaders are the Asia-Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools, Student Leaders Convention, Model ASEAN Summit, etc. Some of our partner schools include The Hutchins from Tasmania, Brisbane Grammar, St Paul’s Co-ed College from Hong Kong, Nankai High School in Tianjin, Academy of Science in Virginia, and many others from India, New Zealand, UK and some ASEAN countries.
Interaction with students from different countries has given our students the opportunities to develop their cultural intelligence. Please feel free to visit our website at www.hwachong.edu.sg.
Dr Hon
Hwa Chong Institution,
Singapore
Re: How are schools enabling all students to be leaders?
I totally agree with John. My assembly sessions with the students are in fact chaired by the students themselves. They decide the topics of discussion every week. All I need to do is to listen to the views of a panel of student speakers, invite more inputs from the rest of the student body and respond if necessary. The students are allowed to raise any issues for discussion. Some of the past issues include school rules, curriculum policies, values and even current affairs such as US election.
Platforms like this where students are free to speak up help them to be responsible and thoughtful youth. They are involved in school policy formulation and hence they too feel the ownership of the policies that are put in place.
Dr Hon
St Therese's Primary School,
Bendigo, Australia
Re: How are schools enabling all students to be leaders?
We believe that leadership skills are essential for all our students. We empower all our Grade 6 students as leaders by setting up Leadership Teams. Every student belongs to one of these teams and makes a valuable leadership contribution to the school.
The teams are formed around the 5 areas of school life: Leadership, Catholic Identity, Pastoral Care, Curriculum, Resources and Facilities. The emphasis is on servant leadership and students will engage in leadership and activities that serve others.
For example, the Pastoral Care Team has addressed the prevention of bullying by developing an anti-bullying program. They also act as Peer Mediators and Friend Finders. The Curriculum Team members have acted as Peer Tutors across the school. The Resources and Facilities Team has led the school in audits and practices related to sustainability and so on.
This is explicit leadership but we are also pursuing ways to build and acknowledge the way all students lead.
This Thread has been closed