Researchers
Roger Holdsworth
"Voice and participation is a right - under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) as well as under other UN conventions. It's a right that must be taken seriously."
Background
Roger Holdsworth is currently Senior Research Associate at the Australian Youth Research Centre, University of Melbourne. He has also been a secondary school teacher, curriculum consultant, youth sector policy worker, writer and researcher. He is editor and publisher of the newsletter Connect which documents and supports active student participation in primary and secondary schools.
Roger, you've shown ongoing commitment to the active engagement of students in educational decision-making and curriculum implementation. Why do you think it is important to include young people in this way?
I think there are two main reasons, with lots of sub-sets spinning out of them. First, voice and participation is a right - under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) as well as under other UN conventions. It's a right that must be taken seriously - and I guess this is a basic 'value' statement. Secondly, the participation of young people in decisions and action makes those decisions and action more effective. That means that better decisions are made, people are more likely to adhere to decisions, but also that, for young people, especially in an education context, more effective learning takes place.
Uniting these two basic reasons is an argument about young people's development as effective and active citizens, and the construction and continuation of a democratic society that is inclusive and respectful of all.
Bullying continues to be an issue in our schools and society. How can students be actively involved in making a difference?
We all - including students - need to be actively involved in finding solutions. Students have a special knowledge and expertise: they are often much more aware of instances and forms of bullying before others are. This gives them a special responsibility to be at the centre and forefront (if that's not ambiguously too difficult!) of taking action. They can work on establishing safe environments for themselves and others.
One way that has been used effectively is the formation of a student task force or action team to investigate and tackle bullying. In one school, students set this up within their Year 9 Health Education class. They were aware that no-one else in the school seemed to be taking bullying seriously. So they formed a team that firstly researched bullying in the school and wider community: its definitions, causes, incidence, impact and so on. They presented these finding publicly to the school. They were then challenged to lead the schoolÕs response with suggestions about actions to be taken.
At recent SRC Conferences in Victoria (for the VicSRC), bullying was raised frequently as an issue of concern. Students continued to complain that effective action was not being taken. These students should be seriously supported to explore the issue and develop solutions.
How else can students be actively involved in their school community?
The formal way has been through some form of Student Council (SRC or JSC). These representative structures enable formalised voices of students to be heard (sometimes). However, too often these structures have been tokenistic, involving only a few students, and around marginalised issues (including the dominance of fundraising for charity). In recent years such critiques have led to documentation of strategies to make this active involvement far more meaningful and effective.
One such approach has been the formation of Student Action Teams, in which students take on an issue of concern to them and to the wider community, investigate it, present outcomes of their research and then develop and implement action plans to make a difference.
How important is it for many and diverse student voices to be heard?
It is vital. The critiques of traditional forms of participation have challenged us to look at who gets to speak (and who is heard) as well as about what. Too often it is the same students, and the students already achieving success within schools (as defined on known socio-economic indicators). Too often it is the compliant students - so the voices that are heard are saying things that it is safe and cosy for us to hear. Where is the challenge and development in that?
In South Australia a few years ago, there was a program around 'inclusive student voice' that sought to challenge schools to include more students, different voices, the 'silenced' voices - not just in speaking out, but also in taking action.
I've argued that the Student Action Team approach lends itself well to such inclusion, as specific groups of students can be targeted, and students who are otherwise 'marginalised' can be included because of their 'expertise'. For example, a Student Action Team addressing truancy consisted of four students who all had extensive involvement as truants. At the moment I'm working with two primary schools on issues of student (dis)engagement, and we've formed SATs to investigate and lead the action - with some of these team members being (in traditional terms) disengaged from school ... and hence knowing what disengagement feels like.
Who benefits from active student participation?
We all do. Primarily it's the students who actively participate who get the most. Study after study has shown that there are academic, social, health and other benefits for students from their participation.
Secondly, in our evaluations with actively participating students, we also ask about the benefits for other students - the ones they reach out to, involve, inform and so on.
Thirdly, the institutions and organisations (including schools) benefit from more effective learning and development, more cooperative environments, more exciting places to be.
And the whole of society benefits from extending our perceptions of active and positive citizens and community members.
What does this mean for how schools operate?
For some schools, this will mean little change; for others, if they were to take this seriously, it would mean a substantial upheaval. At its core, it means reiterating to schools about issues of respect - respect here for students. The work in Values Education has clearly shown that to expect respect from students, they must receive it ... and it must be modelled. To expect students to behave responsibly, they must be given serious responsibility. This applies to all students. That is challenging for some schools.
Secondly, it means that schools need to seek ways, within current curriculum, for the learning to become more authentic. Not just 'relevant', but directed towards real tasks, with important applied outcomes. The question 'why are we learning this?' needs to have an answer in the 'here and now', not in the hypothetical future. That doesn't mean that every class, every day, must be directed towards productive outcomes, but it does mean that every student, at all times, should be doing something that values them publicly.
In order to do this effectively, schools may need to restructure to enable teachers and students to work in smaller units, where they know each other well, and which have flexibility to adapt to challenges.
What advice do you have for school communities starting out on this journey?
- Schools need to assess their commitment and capacity. If schools were to set out on that journey without commitment, or with tokenistic intentions, forget it! You need to be realistic but believe wholeheartedly in what you're doing.
- Secondly, perhaps start small - with a group or two, with a teacher or two, who are passionate and enthusiastic and willing to change relationships and seek authentic opportunities.
- Thirdly, seek partnerships. An external 'commission' is a powerful starting point for a project (that students may or may not accept). It provides an external audience, realistic timelines and a common challenge for students and teachers to collaborate around.
- Fourthly, embrace uncertainty. If this is a serious attempt to involve students in a real issue, there won't be already known outcomes. The excitement of exploring together and learning together is palpable and can drive a project. And reflection on successes and failures should be built in so that we all learn from the experience.
- Finally, document and share what you're doing and finding out - that means both successes and failures. Others will want to share your journey and learnings. Documentation is a powerful tool for reflection - that means all should share in this documentation ... including student presentations at conferences etc.
Where can we get more information?
Far be it from me to push my own barrow, but I've published a small magazine called Connect for almost 30 years. This comes out 6 times a year and shares stories and resources around active student participation. It points to other sources of information as well. It is totally supported by subscriptions, so ... need I say more? Details about the magazine, the books and subscriptions (and purchase) can be found on line at: www.geocities.com/rogermhold/Connect
In particular, I'd recommend the following books:
Holdsworth, R. (ed; 2005) Student Councils and Beyond: Students as Effective Participants in Education Decision-Making. Melbourne: Connect Publications.
Holdsworth, R. (ed; 2006) Student Action Teams: Productive Practices in Primary and Secondary Classrooms. Melbourne: Connect Publications.
In addition, a 'how to' manual for Student Action Teams can be found at:
www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/.../StudentActionTeamsManual2003.pdf
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