Introduction
Student’s participation is important in the learning process. Learning involves processes that require participants to be proactive, rather than being dormant. These processes include a lot of activities that familiarize human beings with their environment. Like any other civilized organization, schools and other learning environments require rules and regulations that guide their behavior. This paper seeks to develop a plan that can be used to ensure students involvement in establishing rules and regulations, which guide behavior in learning environment. Good codes of conduct are critical to performance in schools.
Plan for establishing rules in schools
As stated in this paper, participation is important in learning. The plan discussed in this paper is based on participation of students in drafting rules. Students often get involved in mischief. This is why there is a need for a different approach in rule making. To avert this kind of behavior, a good plan for establishing rules in schools is necessary. The process of setting rules in this case will be free and democratic.
Schools are establishments in a society and as such, students should enjoy participating in processes that have a direct impact on them. Rulemaking in schools will be democratized. Bearing in mind that some schools have big populations, which makes it hard to hear every voice, it will be important to have a formula for representation. Responsibility should be taught at early stages.
This program will also enhance student’s leadership skills. All stakeholders will play a role in rule making. It will be an annual activity done at every beginning of the academic year. To kick off the process, the following will be done:
- Creation of Interim Election Board- considering that this is a new plan, Interim Election Board will comprise of teaching staff but majorly students to conduct a free and fair elections of representatives. Most schools appoint representatives based on their academic performance. The Elections Board will be mandated to conduct elections.
- Establishment of Students’ Representatives Parliament- the elected officials will form a parliament and a member of teaching staff preferably will be the speaker. This is to ensure neutrality. Subcommittees in parliament will be formed and given different roles such as Law making, sports and entertainment. The parliament will also create a permanent Election Board mandated to oversee elections.
- Law making process- this will be the most important stage of the plan. Students will get involved in drafting rules and regulations. The process will start with parliament committee in charge of laws. The committee will be responsible for collecting student’s views before tabling them in parliament after which they will debate on it.
- Executive committee- this will be the supreme body in rule making. It will comprise of staff s, students’, non-teaching staff and parents’ representatives. It will be chaired by the school head. They will have the power to finally accept students’ drafted rules, to be made laws of the school.
This plan can also be applicable in a small classroom where every student will take a role in law making. The process will be part of the school’s traditions. Equitability will be ensured by forming a committee that will be responsible for different functions. The program will need evaluation at the end of every academic year, to get changes that can be made. By making the process a school tradition will award the process required consistency. This program is aimed at teaching student’s social responsibility and leadership skill at early stages in development. The school administration, which plays an oversight role, will ensure that high quality rules are formulated and implemented.