Notes from 12th Meeting of National Executive 2018-19 · RSE Consultation: 13th March 2019 • Advisory Committee set up to plan for the consultation and to pilot the methodology

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Attendees at this meeting: 21 out of 31 attended

Rhys Scully, Carlow; Cormac Brady, Cavan; Shane Quinn, Clare; Jiang O’Neill, Cork City;

Alicia O’Sullivan, Cork County; Daire Harper, Donegal; Ross Beatty, DLR; Anthony

Khijinski, Dublin City; Luana Romila, Fingal; Jakub Kostanski, Galway City; Lorna Mannion,

Galway County; Snejana Herbst, Kerry; Aaron Hackett, Kildare; Cian Mac Gearailt, Laois;

Josh Challoner, Louth; Laura McInerney, Meath; Kenneth Bracken, Offaly; Michael

Lough, Roscommon; Anna Powell, Tipperary; Caoilfhinn Ní Choilligh, Westmeath;

Matthew Colgan, Wexford;

Notes from 12th Meeting of

National Executive 2018-19

16th February 2019

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Focus of this meeting:

• Updates: RSE Consultation

Individuality Sub Committee

Dáil 100

• Focus on developing the Guidelines on Student Voice with consultants John and Ger Halbert

• National Showcase Report—discussions in small Groups

• Revisit Purpose and Aims of the Guidelines

• Lundy Model and Guidelines Development -

Updates on recent events and forthcoming opportunities:

Individuality Sub-Committee:

Cormac, Snejana, Jakub and Ross are on the committee which met on 5th February.

Key feedback points:

• We want to empower student councils (through the student voice guidelines) to act on behalf of the student body to challenge attitudes in individual schools.

• ‘Call to action’ in the guidelines for student councils to work on individuality within their own schools

• Make a video / mini-doc looking at various experiences in schools – budget depend-ent—need sign-off from DCYA

• Social media to play a big part in the campaign

• Presentation of the hashtag options—vote at the next meeting

• Campaign to be linked with the guidelines on student voice—a section of the guidelines calling on student councils to work on individuality in their own schools – changing rules and attitudes

NOTES FROM 12TH MEETING OF NATIONAL EXECUTIVE 2018 -19 Page 2

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NOTES FROM 12TH MEETING OF NATIONAL EXECUTIVE 2018 -19

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What do we hope to achieve?

• Empower student councils to work on ‘individuality’ within their own school – ultimate-ly aiming to ‘change attitudes’

What is the main / key message?

• Our appearance has nothing to do with the way we learn

• You’re in school for the formative years of your life when you’re figuring out who you are

• School rules can hinder personal development when individuality isn’t allowed to be expressed.

• We are here for education, not for judgement.

• We want each student to feel like they can express themselves in their own schools

Potential hashtags

#EducateDontDiscriminate (some usage already on Twitter)

#TeachMeAsMe - no existing presence on Twitter

#FreeToBeMe – already in use on Twitter

#NoRepressionToOurExpression - no existing presence on Twitter but doesn’t refer to education or school

Others from last meeting – ruled out by sub-group as not representative of our message

#LetMeBeMe

#DontHideMe

#TeachMeDontChangeMe

#DontChangeMe

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RSE Consultation: 13th March 2019

• Advisory Committee set up to plan for the consultation and to pilot the methodology which will be used on the day. The group is made up of members from Cork County and Westmeath, as they had been working on this topic over past few years. The group includes the two Nat Exec members Caoilfhinn and Alicia and they have met once on 30th January. Next meeting will take place on 19th February.

• National Executive members to encourage their Comhairles to take up this opportunity and to sign up to attend

DÁIL 100: attended by Alex from Longford and Anna from Tipperary

• Event took place in the Round Room of the Mansion House which is where the first Dáil sat 100 years ago.

• Address by President Higgins, followed by contributions by leaders of all the political parties, starting with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

• Celebration of our democracy

• Signing of the Centenary Declaration by the Ceann Comhairle and the Cathaoirleach

• Presentation of the signed declaration to Comhairle members—passing it on to a new generation (see pic of signed declaration)

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FOCUS ON DEVELOPING GUIDELINES ON STUDENT VOICE:

Introduction by Ger and John Halbert

We will be working closely with Ger and John Halbert, formerly of the NCCA, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, (now working as independent consultants) on developing our guidelines.

A sub-group comprised of Rhys, Jiang, Lorna and Kenneth met with them in DCYA on 5th Feb

National Showcase Report (Small Groups – 1 section of report per group)

Five sub-groups, set up to discuss the amended report: four facilitated by the young people from the sub-groups and co-facilitated by John, Ger and the Participation Officers.

Rhys (Suzanne co-facilitating) — School Rules

Kenneth (John co-facilitating) —Extra-Curricular Activities

Lorna (Ger co-facilitating) - Uniform and Appearance

Jiang (Suzanne co-facilitating) — School Management

Martin (PO) - Subject and Subject Choice

Aim of sub-groups—to consider the following questions:

Q: What are the three things you were glad to see coming out of the findings about this topic?

Q: Young people have a right to have their voices heard in matters that affect them: In relation to this topic, what is the most important advice this group would give to schools to ensure that young people are consulted about this topic and their views are listened to?

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Extra-Curricular Activities

Q: What are the three things you were glad to see coming out of the findings about this topic? Do students have a voice?

• Lack of communication structures in place, e.g. teachers & students willing to listen. Designated information spaces.

Q: Advice? What needs to be improved

• Trust in students

• Template structure for plans—establishment of clubs

• Communication structures—noticeboard, announcements, designated E.C. teachers

Uniform and Appearance


• Some schools are open to discussion about issues regarding uniform and appearance

• Young people are passionate about this issue

Q: Advice?

• Train student councils to have capability and confidence to tackle issues confidently

• Understand that appearance doesn’t affect learning ability

• Work on compromise with students re: uniform

• Challenge teachers about stereotypes

• Have discussions with parents, students and staff

• Pick your battles (genuine engagement)

• Justify restrictions

• Students will work with you, if you work with us.

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Subject and Subject Choice


• Gender equality in subjects and subject choice

• Range of subject choice in each school

• Freedom of choice—students picking the subjects for Leaving Cert

• Schools picking the levels each student must do in subjects

• Compulsory subjects

Q: Advice?

• Survey students about compulsory subjects and for more subject choice

• Ask students what other subjects they would like to be educated on that are not available in their school

• How teaching resources can be used more

• Survey teachers if they would be willing to teach a subject in other schools

• Schools don’t tell students that they can’t do a subject—instead they should find a solution to accommodate them

School Rules


• Discontent with a number of rules—strict / outdated

• Students and staff must respect each other’s opinions—compromise

• Limited say in creating or changing rules

Q: Advice?

• More open forum for students—year by year consultation, clinics by student council, strikes / protests / petitions

• Surveys

• Suggestion / complaint boxes

• Presence of the BoM

• Contact higher powers like TDs

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School Management


• Students need to be represented at parent council meetings and need to work to-gether

• Students only have a voice if teachers like what they are saying

Q: Advice?

• Getting an inclusive team of students, parents, staff and management

• Find ways for the student council to consult the greater student body

REVISITING PURPOSE AND AIMS OF THE GUIDELINES:

What we said...

• To create a fairly elected student council

• Provide equal opportunity for student voice to be heard and recognised

• To create an effective partnership between the student body and the Boards of Management

These will be tweaked by the sub-groups, in conjunction with Ger and John

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MAP EXERCISE: REFLECTING ON...

• Where do you have a voice in this school?

• Do all students have an equal voice in this space? (All/some/a few)

• Who is listening and how do you know?

• How does having a voice make a difference for you?

DISCUSS IN SMALL GROUPS:

• Whose voice is most likely to be heard in schools?

• Who is likely to be listening

• What are the positive outcomes that can result?

Or

• Any other observations

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Looking at the Lundy Model of Participation and how we can use it in the development of the Guidelines

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Next meeting will be Sat. 9th March 2019

11:30—15:30

Notes from 12th Meeting of National Executive 2018-19 · RSE Consultation: 13th March 2019 • Advisory Committee set up to plan for the consultation and to pilot the methodology

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