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St.Leo’s College Student Council Constitution
Name:
The name of the association of students
described below will be St. Leo’s College Student Council.
Membership:
The membership of the student
council (S.C) shall consist of three head girls and
two representives from 1st to 6th year.
Rationale:
*The United Nations Convention on the rights of
the child gives younge people the right to
have their voice heard on issues that effect them
*The Education Act (section 27) states that
Boards of Management will encourage and assist
the operation of Student Councils
*One of the goals of the National Childrens strategy
published in November 2000 is that children and young people will be given advice in matters which affect them. Student councils are an ideal way to give students advice in their schools.
*There is a strong traddition of operating a student council in St.Leo’s College.
Aims and Objectives:
*To give students a voice and the opportunity to work in partnership with
management, staff, parents and students to improve their schools.
*To give young people a chance to become active citizens in their school
community, with real opportunities to experience citizenship for themselves
and make a real contribution to the ongoing development of the school.
*To afford students the opportunity to raise issues that are of particular
concern to students.
*To give students a chance to get to know students in other years and to work closely with them.
*To help create the conditions conducive towards the development of interpersonal relationships characteristics of a school in the mercy tradition.
*To encourage students to become self confident, responsible and caring.
*To give students a chance to develop their leadership skills.
*Through their active involvement in school life, to foster in students a sense of loyalty to the school.
*To improve communications at all levels and with all of the partners in education.
*To actively embody the St.Leo’s College ethos through their actions and contribution to school life.
Terms of Reference:
As already noticed in “Aims and Objectives” above and including the following:
a) The management and staff of the school may not be discussed
b) No individual student’s problems, whether of a personal , social or academic nature may be discussed.
c) No individual student’s dealing with teachers, disciplinary or otherwise, may be discussed.
d) The SRC may not be used by any member to represent any perceived grievance of an individual student or group of students with respect to any teacher or with respect to the code of behaviour of the school.
Possibilities for student involvement:
a) Acting as an advisory body on students’ views.
b) Organising surveys of students’ interests and concerns as appropriate.
c)Organising a sports day and tournaments as necessary.
d)Managing and organising various notice boards in the school and the Student Council notice board in particular.
e) Suggesting groups/speakers who might be invited into the school to talk to students
f) Explaining the reasons behind certain rules and decisions to other students having been actively involved in the discussions themselves.
Staff Liaison Committee
A Staff Liaison Committee consisting of two teachers will represent the views and opinions of the teaching staff at the SRC meetings and will act as a conduit for information between the SRC and the staff.
Important Points to note:
a) Proposals must be for the benefit of the school in general.
b) Discussions merely lead to recommendation and not decisions. All recommendations will be presented to the principal or Board of Management as necessary for approval.
c) At least one staff member must be present at each meeting.
d)Any staff member has the right to attend any meeting of the council as he/she wishes.
e) A member of the council must be an example in dress and behaviour. Any member of the council may be removed if behaviour or attitude is deemed unacceptable or if their commitment to the SRC is deemed to be lacking. This decision would be taken by the liaison Committee in consultation with the principal. The latter would have the final say.
Election of SRC members:
As stated above the membership of the SRC shall consist of three head girls with 12 student representatives 2 from each year
The term of office is one school year. Representitives can also be re-elected .
The election of 2nd to 6th year representatives will take place in the last term of the previous school year and the election of 1st year reps. Will take place during the first term of the school year .The src together with the staff liaison committee will preside over the elections a number of committees will be formed from src members.These will include the register of electors committee,The Public Relations committee, The Ballot Paper Committee,The Ballot Box Committee,The Polling Station Committee and The Cunt Committee.The duties of each are outlined in the Appendix below.
Students wishing to be nominated for the SRC must secure 2 nominations on the offical SRC Ballot Paper and have their nomination approved by their class head.The class head will Liaise with the year head/deputy principal as necessary a list of candidates from each year will be drawn up and students in each year will vote for their particular year’s representatives.
Appendix:
SRC Election committee
Collect class lists of everyone intending to vote
Put together a Register of electors
Produce in alphabetical order
On the day of the election cross off each name as they are handed a ballot paper
The Public Relations Committee :
Make posters advertising the upcoming election and put them up around the school
Contact each individual class about the election telling them when and where it is on
Candidates wishing to put up posters/fliers have to do it through this committee
The Ballot Paper Committee :
Design a ballot paper for each year
This should be done on a computer and printed out
Photocopy and have enough ready for the day of the election
The Ballot Box Committee :
Get a cardboard box for each year group on the outside of the box
Seal the lid on each box
The Polling Station Committee:
Set up the tables in the designated class room or hall
Set up a screen or a curtain so that voters can have a secret ballot
Watch over the ballot boxes to make sure that they are not interfered with
Watch over the ballot box to make sure they are not interfered with
The Count Committee:
Count the votes
Subtract any invalid or spoiled votes and work out the quota
Count the votes and declare the winner.