The current status of students' councils in a sample of Newfoundland and Labrador senior high schools

• Main Author: Mercer, David John, 1951-
• Other Authors: Memorial University of Newfoundland. Faculty of Education
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 1981
• Subjects: Student government; Student participation in administration > Newfoundland and Labrador; Canada; Newfoundland; Newfoundland studies; University of Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses2/id/61408

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1981. Education Bibliography: leaves 83-90. This study described the current status of students' councils in a sample of Newfoundland and Labrador senior high schools. Responses to the questionnaire utilized in the survey were solicited from the following in-school groups: administrators, faculty advisors to the students' councils, students' council members, and members of the student body. -- This study revealed that students' councils were mostly involved in organizing social and recreational activities, despite the fact that the student subgroup indicated that students’ rights was the prime area for concern. The staff subgroup cited student responsibilities as the area in which they would most like to see students involved. An overwhelming degree of consistency was revealed between both subgroups in citing preferred and non-preferred areas for student participation in decision-making. Both the student and staff subgroups claimed that poor attitudes demonstrated by the other, and ineffectual student-staff communication were the major factors hindering meaningful student involvement in decision-making. This suggested that new channels of student-staff communication, perhaps within a new students' council structure, were desirable.