The Government are committed to ensuring that young people have the opportunity to participate in decisions that affect them in their schools. The vast majority of schools already have School Councils and find them an effective way of engaging with pupils’ views. Schools use ways to engage their pupils and they have found a range of benefits in doing so including an improvement in relationships within the school and in the morale and confidence of their pupils. The engagement of young people is vital in shaping education and services to meet their needs. However, it is not for the Government to prescribe how schools should engage their pupils in the decision making process.
We will continue to work with schools to ensure that all pupils’ views are heard and valued.