Student councils are the bridge between students and teachers. They share and propose ideas, help raise funds, and act as a representative for students in communicating with the school. Members such as the vice president, secretary and treasurer are elected by teachers whereas the president of the student council is chosen by students through a vote, thus forming a “mini democracy”. Student councils are primarily present in western countries such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
Now, you may wonder why there isn’t a student council in Kuen Cheng High School. Well, there technically already are two roles that fit the role: class monitors and prefects. Both of these roles do fulfill certain aspects of a student council, such as organising events. But they also lack certain aspects of being a student council, such as voting.
The most obvious benefit that student councils bring to students is that it looks good on future resumes. Colleges and universities have a tendency to look for students that stand out, and the participation in a student council will definitely give students the advantage. Plus, it shows that they are passionate and are willing to take initiative as being on a student council means you are in charge of a ton of projects and proposals.
Moving on, another major plus in joining a student council is that students learn a plethora of skills. Leadership, teamwork, communication, just to name a few. They will also be more willing to pick up these skills since student councils are usually held in groups which promote spirit. Learning these skills is super valuable in the future, especially on a resume or a job interview, like I previously mentioned.
Students can also form a community around some great people in the student council. As most of the members of the student council are elected by teachers, the council will be filled with the best of the best. Students will be able to learn some moral lessons from interacting with their peers and seniors. Teachers are also more likely to recognise students who are on the student council. This helps students to develop better relationships with teachers.
Now, a huge disadvantage of being on the school council is that students won’t have as much free time as their peers. While other students leave school after school hours, they are likely to stay in school for meetings. They will have to struggle to balance between school work, student council work and leisure activities. This can be especially damaging to teenagers as it might cause them to stress out due to the massive amount of work.
It should go without saying that there will obviously be detractors among the members on the student council. People might have unreasonable expectations or requests that they expect the student council to complete and fulfill. On top of that, there is no guarantee that whatever the student councils suggest or propose will even get accepted by the school in the first place. Plus, there can be stigmas like arrogant, talkative and attention seeking behaviours that are often associated with student council members. These problems are part of the job of the student council, and students might not be able to handle the stigma. With the added popularity of being a member of the student council, students are also more susceptible to harassment or bullying by other students.
On top of that, having a student council means that there may be a chance of manipulation or bribery among students in their ploy to attain the precious role of “president”. Again, they might give totally unreasonable promises that don’t actually get fulfilled or develop rivalry against the other candidates. This situation is highly unavoidable and students might not have the correct conscience when it comes to voting for the student council.
In conclusion, while the formation of student councils allows the student body to have an outlet to voice their opinions to the school administration, there are also potential drawbacks that create more trouble than it is worth. Such exposure to overwhelming stress, public stigma, and possible corruption defeats the main purpose of education.
