By way of an introduction, my name is Cameron and I recently graduated from a Journalism & Media BA. I am very lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with Asher and Greg here at Involver while developing the new Smart School Councils site, so you can
expect to read more from me over the coming weeks.
From my own experience at school, college and university, it has become apparent that the student voice is an important aspect of any educational institution that is too often neglected. When there are channels in place for students to have an input into how their school works, it seems that there is usually no real power to make a change put into their hands. This often leaves student councils and other democratic processes to the few students who have developed a passion for the political and the confidence to challenge their teachers, leaving the majority of students who have their own concerns and ideas without any real ability to be heard.
At Involver, we aim to work with students and teachers to put in place the resources and training necessary to give everyone the chance to get involved helping to improve their school. This helps schools develop a community spirit and collaborative ethos for the benefit of staff and pupils alike, while also teaching young people about responsibility and democracy to prepare them for life after education.
It’s an ideology I am proud to support, and I look forward to contributing to and learning from the Involver team while we produce content for the Smart School Council site. I’m also hoping to hear from students and teachers who are interested in what we do here or have their own ideas about democracy in schools, so please feel free to email or get in touch on the forums.
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about what we do and why we do it.
Cameron Scott Doherty.
Email: info@involver.org.uk ¦ Portfolio: www.csdoherty.wordpress.com