Student Council and School Coexistence: a space for participation and development of the collectivity

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to establish relationships between student participation and school coexistence, with a particular focus on the role of student councils. It is argued that the creation of spaces that broaden students’ participation within the school constitutes a key factor for the improvement of school coexistence. The empirical reference of the discussion derives from more than a decade of experience in coordinating an outreach project aimed at fostering the establishment of student councils in public elementary schools. In the first section, a brief description of the project’s functioning will be presented, with particular attention to two central initiatives: the Child and Youth Forum and the organization of school assemblies. Subsequently, data from a doctoral research project developed within the scope of this initiative will be analyzed, with emphasis on the role of student councils in shaping student collectivity and their consequent impact on relationships of coexistence within the school. In view of the rise of school violence, it is posited that student councils may constitute a privileged arena for the enhancement of school coexistence and for the development of a collective ethics.