Student voice
Student voice
Ontario’s Student Voice
Education reform has long been the domain of parents, teachers, school administrators and politicians. In some nations, however, there is a trend beginning to encompass a much larger element of student participation in scholastic affairs. A student voice on district school boards was mandated in 1999. As part of changes made to the Ontario Education Act, legislation mandates that students of each one of the 72 provincial school boards elect a student trustee to represent their needs and concerns in discussions with the school board administration and the province.
The Ontario Student Trustees’ Association - l’Association des élèves conseillers et conseillères de l’Ontario (OSTA-AECO) has since become Ontario’s chief student stakeholder dedicated to representing the 1.9 million students in Ontario’s public education system. OSTA-AECO, through its General Assembly of student trustees, represents elementary and secondary students from the four sectors of publicly funded education (English Catholic, English Public, French Catholic, French Public). It provides professional development to its members and advocates for students’ educational interests.
Ontario’s Student Voice will be strengthened, pending passage of the legislation, by measures presented by Minister of Education Gerard Kennedy. They include a mandated non-binding vote for each student trustee.
The Society for Democratic Education
An emerging organization in Toronto that includes many aspects of heightened student inclusion in education reform policy is The Society for Democratic Education.Founded in early 2005 by Bianca Wylie, The Society has published several essays and position papers that discuss the importance of wide-scale education reform, especially in how it applies to secondary level education and civic education.
Other Proponents of “The Student Voice” in Canada
A prominent and established voice for students, albeit for post-secondary issues, is the Canadian Federation of Students. Other Toronto-based groups made up of student-aged members include The Toronto Youth Cabinet and Canada 25, though these organizations also focus on broader policy both within the city and the nation.