Should We Have a Student Council?
by Peter F.
Student council: a way for students to express their ideas and feelings, to gain leadership skills, and to learn how different governments work. Students will definitely benefit from student councils. So why don’t we have a student council here at PS6? Is there a downside? Learn more about student council in p s 6 in our new article and from the voices of p s 6 students, teachers, and special teachers.
While many believe there are many benefits of student council, Andrew, a current 5th grader here at PS 6, believes there is no reason why we should have student council. Andrew explained that “It could hurt students’ feelings who do not get elected and could make those students immature about themselves.’’ David, another student who is currently a 4th grader said that “we should not have student government because some of the government officials may abuse his/her power and make rash decisions that could negatively affect many students at PS6. These students show that while there are upsides to student government, there also downsides such as exclusion and unfair government rules.
Although there are downsides to student government, there are also good things about student government that outweigh the cons. For example, a current 4th grader at PS6 pointed out ”it (student government) teaches responsibility because it makes participants go to meetings and help make this school a greater place”. Another upside was explained by 4th grader Carolina who said, “student government teaches children to not just think about themselves but for the community as well.” This illustrates that student government is a great way to teach students responsibilities and to not think about themselves but also their community.
Student government may exclude students and bring unfair rules but the great qualities that it brings to the table like responsibilities and to be unselfish are too great to pass up.
While many believe there are many benefits of student council, Andrew, a current 5th grader here at PS 6, believes there is no reason why we should have student council. Andrew explained that “It could hurt students’ feelings who do not get elected and could make those students immature about themselves.’’ David, another student who is currently a 4th grader said that “we should not have student government because some of the government officials may abuse his/her power and make rash decisions that could negatively affect many students at PS6. These students show that while there are upsides to student government, there also downsides such as exclusion and unfair government rules.
Although there are downsides to student government, there are also good things about student government that outweigh the cons. For example, a current 4th grader at PS6 pointed out ”it (student government) teaches responsibility because it makes participants go to meetings and help make this school a greater place”. Another upside was explained by 4th grader Carolina who said, “student government teaches children to not just think about themselves but for the community as well.” This illustrates that student government is a great way to teach students responsibilities and to not think about themselves but also their community.
Student government may exclude students and bring unfair rules but the great qualities that it brings to the table like responsibilities and to be unselfish are too great to pass up.