Search by topic
Developing pupil democracy
The focus of Curriculum for Excellence on learner involvement, from the very earliest stages of curriculum planning, has ensured the issue of pupil democracy is at the forefront of topical education discussion.
In early 2010, Children in Scotland, together with Edinburgh University, published the results of their research into pupil democracy in all 32 of Scotland's Local Authorities, discovering that 90 per cent of Scotland's primary and secondary schools operate a pupil council of some sort.
Despite the prevalence of such structures, there has been little guidance or support available for participants in pupil councils or for those who support them, a fact which the authors highlight. While there is often a great desire to see pupil democracy succeed, the reality often fails to live up to the expectations.
It is perhaps to be expected then, that the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) has grasped the opportunity to offer its experience and expertise and has completed a pilot programme of support for pupil democracy in two schools.
The programme, seed funded by Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS), saw SYP's participation experts work through a five-phase programme with Alva Academy and Preston Lodge High School.
Rather than seek to impose a standard structure on the schools, phase one of the programme involved a series of structured meetings with teachers and pupils to devise a setup that would best achieve results for their particular circumstances.
Having decided on their format, the next step was to provide a tailored programme of training for the teachers charged with supporting the new structure; next up was support for the election processes, before SYP then offered further training, this time to enable the newly-elected pupil representatives to better fulfil their role. Though each of the schools had a functioning pupil democracy at the end of these four phases, a final important phase was then implemented to connect schools to their local communities.
Neil Burn, Participation and Training Manager at SYP, has been managing the project and said: "It's obvious that there's a real need for help and support in this area.
"For me, one of the real positives is that we've already ensured that the training for the young people is being accredited; each of them will receive a certificate which is rated on the Credit and Qualifications Framework, and we're also discussing how we can recognise the training teachers receive, possibly through CPD or Professional Recognition.
"We're now working on a second pilot of sorts, testing different models of delivery for the training, with a view to a wider, possibly national, rollout of the programme. We know there are a few people in Government keeping an eye on our progress and we want to be able to present them with an option for a programme which can ensure that pupil councils across Scotland can live up to their potential."
LTS remains involved in the project and has recently secured a seconded teacher to work with SYP for part of each week, helping to ensure that the training programme reflects Curriculum for Excellence principles and can demonstrate delivery of relevant experiences and outcomes. The arrangement has also seen a member of SYP staff head in the opposite direction, spending part of the week with LTS scoping the wider potential for civic engagement activity within the education environment.
The Scottish Youth Parliament is involved in developing citizenship in all manner of contexts, but the future looks bright for this emerging democracy programme in particular.
About the SYP
The Scottish Youth Parliament represents Scotland's young people. Our 14-25-year-old members are elected every two years by their peers, representing Scottish Parliamentary constituencies, and national voluntary organisations such as LGBT Youth Scotland and Down's Syndrome Scotland. Elected Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) volunteer their time to take part in discussions, debates and campaigns to secure strong representation for Scotland's young people in the decisions which affect their lives.
Accreditation
The Participative Democracy Certificate (PDC) is based on decision making in groups. It gives participants the opportunity to acknowledge and develop communication, decision making, and negotiation skills in the context of democratic engagement. It is worth two credits at SCQF level five. Each credit is based on 10 hours of learning activity.
For each part of the course, evidence presented by the participant is assessed against relevant learning outcomes. To complete the course, young people have to be able to demonstrate 20 hours of learning by providing a portfolio of evidence.
Highland Youth Voice
Youth Parliament for the Highlands - an elected body of about 100 elected through schools.
European Youth Parliament
Represents a non- partisan and independent educational project which is tailored to the needs of young European citizens.