“It is not enough that children should be law-abiding; they must also be lawmakers in school, just as in adult life, as voting citizens or as officeholders, they will engage in lawmaking.” John Dewey
Student government elections at Indian Hills High School in Oakland, NJ resulted in Journal columnist Ryan Robinson (Ryan’s nom de plume) becoming one of four new officers for the class of 2013:President, Kyle Porro, President; Anjani Shah, Vice President; Sean Reischel, Treasurer; Ryan Schwertfeger, Secretary.
It is easy for adults to become cynical of the political process, and in turn even easier for young adults to become cynical at an earlier age. As the American political landscape becomes polarized, and news gathering corporations evolve to target demographics to the left and the right of politics, engaging students in the democratic process is considered more vital than ever before.
Many schools seek to embrace and promote the democratic process in the schools with the inclusion of all three branches of government. High school constitutions often detail student legislative powers, and joint faculty/student judiciary committees aim to transform students from “subjects” to “citizens” by including them in the disciplinary procedures.
Student participation in governing their school also allows students an opportunity to challenge administrators and faculty in an appropriate forum; it provides an additional system of checks and balances.
The 21st century has brought dramatic changes in technology, community life, as well as new threats to safety and liberty for all citizens. The challenges faced by the next generation of Americans are significant, and fostering an “embryonic democracy” in schools is one method of fostering democracy in the future.
Congratulations to the new officers.