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Young minds grab political attention

FIVE keen students from across the state had the opportunity to bend the ear of Education Minister Bronwyn Pike recently in the chambers of Parliament House. The students were part of the Victorian Student Representative Council (SRC) Executive – a group of 15 students from schools across Victoria who work together to represent statewide student interests.

The topics on the agenda were focused squarely on environmental concerns: How can we improve energy use and water use in schools, and step up recycling? According to Project Officer James Tonson, who coordinates the Victorian SRC, students were keen to discuss how they could work with the Minister to make schools more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

“The students have been putting together a resource kit that they want to distribute to schools that includes information on all the environmental programs run by DEECD and other organisations across the state,” Mr Tonson said. “Their thinking behind this was that kids in schools are often keen and committed and want to make a difference, but they don’t always know where they can get information from. And that’s where the SRC comes in. This resource would be for students to tap in to, and make their schools environmentally sustainable.”

For Year 12 student James Oldfield, the opportunity to float these ideas with the Minister for Education was of considerable value. The Wanganui Park Secondary College student travelled from Shepparton in northern Victoria to meet with the Minister, and in his words “it was all worth it”. “It was terrific!” he said enthusiastically. “It’s not something that happens very often. To begin with it was a new, awkward feeling, but she was very hospitable and we felt right at home after a few minutes.”

According to James, Ms Pike suggested a range of people for thestudents to contact to help them develop their resource kit and was very supportive of their ideas and suggestions. This brought a tremendous feeling of being genuinely valued, insists Mr Tonson, who said it felt good to see the students being heard. “The Minister gave us a really good hearing,” he said. “We’re establishing a direct relationship with the students and the Minister, and it’s an excellent developmental opportunity for the kids as individuals.

Ms Pike welcomed the relationship, and indicated her strong support for facilitating a student voice. “It’s important that schools ensure their students have a voice and are consulted,” she said.

The SRC encourages students to bring issues forward and uses parliamentary-style processes – such as allocating a portfolio to each student – to make decisions and carry them out. “In this way, students learn how to set up and run an organisation,” Mr Tonson explains. “Everything from managing budgets to raising services for members, and feeding that into the democratic process. “And walking past the back of the chambers in Parliament House made them really feel like they were part of the action!”

Contact:
James Tonson
Project Officer
Victorian SRC
9267 3799