STUDENT SPEAK A Feedback Forum For, By and Of the Students

WHY? “You know, you can be

engaged in the activity of something, but not really be achieving it, like dieting. It's a very good example, you

know. There he is. He's dieting. Is he losing any

weight? Not really. Teaching is a word like that. You can

say, "There's Deborah, she's in room 34, she's

teaching." But if nobody's learning anything, she may be engaged in the task of teaching but not actually

fulfilling it.” -Ken Robinson

STUDENTS: THEY HAVE A VOICE, AND IT MATTERS

- Students are the best placed to provide feedback. - There are no existing systems in my school for students to give their inputs on teaching, classroom and school environment. - They are the end-users of the service; the entire system is built FOR them. It’s time it begins to become BY them too.

HOW? “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in

the next.” - Abraham Lincoln

A FORUM FOR, BY AND OF THE STUDENTS - Student led after teacher modelling in the first week. - Discussions will take place in small circles everyday and one large group every week. - Large groups will incorporate small groups and then representative presentation of ideas before the large group. - Agenda items to be pre-decided as well as space for an open forum. - Regular follow-up on previous week’s feedback.

NOTES TO MYSELF “I never teach my

pupils. I only provide the

conditions in which they can

learn.” -Albert Einstein

OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS

Opportunities - Bringing in more stakeholders such as parents, other teachers, administrators for regular engagement with the students. - There will be a better appreciation of each other’s problems, and useful insights on solving them. - Students using the skills in other avenues like solving their community-related problems.

Threats - Maintaining student investment over a long period of time. The novelty of the forum will wear off over time; it needs to have an intrinsic value to students. - Consistently taking time out of busy schedules for formal discussions.

THE OUTCOME “The most

important outcome of education is to

help students become

independent of formal education.”

- Paul E. Gray

MEASURING SUCCESS - Better attendance. Lesser absenteeism and lower drop-out rates. - Better class management, and higher achievement of learning outcomes. - Invested stakeholders who realise the importance of the students as the focus of the entire system. - Empowered students willing to use their voice and skills in other avenues of life.

ABHIPSIT MISHRA Government Boys Secondary School, No.3

Mehrauli, New Delhi (India)