Parliament: Empowering students to use their voices

At Woodbury Boston, opinions matter. That's why our students have the opportunity to participate in a Parliament every fortnight.

Parliament is a student-run meeting where everyone has the opportunity to show their appreciation for others, celebrate successes and discuss any concerns that they may have. Our system mirrors democracy (not a top-down approach), where our students have every chance to voice their opinion and be involved in issues that matter to them.

Here are just some of the things our students learn by participating in Parliament:

Understand their rights and the rights of others: In order for Parliament to run smoothly, everyone needs to be on board with the protocols. That means an understanding of the correct way to interact with the student facilitators, as well as realising that everyone in the group has a right to speak up.

Recognise their responsibility to the community: Parliament offers a student who has been subject to or witnessed bullying behaviour the chance to discuss it with the whole school. This gives us the chance to talk about the responsibility that we all have to behave respectfully in our community. 

Share helpful insights that contribute to peaceful solutions: If there is a disagreement between students on the playground, Parliament is an ideal time to sort it out. For example, if one group of students is monopolising a certain part of the playground for their game, another group might suggest a rotating roster so that everyone gets to have a go. 

Older students, in particular, offer valuable insight to this type of problem. Solving it without adult intervention boosts confidence (and also makes it more likely that the students will stick to the decision!) 

Voice their opinions and be heard: We use our time in Parliament to make some big decisions about our school — and we include our students in decision-making as much as possible. For example, we’re redeveloping the bank in front of the school office. The students have been involved in the process from the beginning; identifying how they’d like to use the space, creating their own designs, and suggesting ideas that the adults would never have considered. 

Listen to and respect the opinions of others: Our senior students in particular are included in early development for some of our safety policies that directly affect students. Use of the ball swings, in particular, is an issue around which we had a tonne of student input.

The format of Parliament helps our students understand the importance of listening to everyone’s opinion, weighing the options, and coming to a decision that suits everyone.

Problem solve to find shared solutions to issues: Students occasionally use Parliament to bring up an issue that is bothering them. For example, a child who has read an article about the endangerment of Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos may bring it up during the session. This is a great opportunity for other students who care about the issue to jump on board, and together the students come up with things that they can do to help.

Results

Decisions are made in consultation with the whole Parliament, and with everyone’s full knowledge and agreement. Issues are not voted on – rather discussion continues until consensus is reached.

The skills that Woodbury Boston students learn by participating in Parliament stay with them for life. They learn that their opinions matter and that through respectful and compassionate interaction, they can make change.