Created in response to striking teachers, the Union of Secondary Students is campaigning to give pupils more say in how they are educated, writes Louise Holden
When McDonald's, the fast-food giant, decided last month to curb the working hours of its student employees, most people probably applauded the company's civic-mindedness or admired its public-relations strategy. Only one group spoke out about what it saw as an infringement of employees' rights: the Union of Secondary Students (USS).
Its vice-president, Oisín O'Reilly, says that, as an organisation of teenagers founded barely four years ago, it can be a challenge to get a voice. "Most European countries have a well-established tradition of union representation for school students," says O'Reilly, a Leaving Cert student with a keen interest in politics.
"Ireland is lagging well behind. Our union was born during the Asti strike in 2001. We felt that everyone was shouting over our heads about what was best for schools and we, the students, had no input at all."
In its four years the union has grown to have a membership of 4,000, and it regularly meets with the Department of Education and Science and teachers' unions. The group has also fostered healthy European connections, and delegates are regularly dispatched to meetings with sister unions across the EU.
This week its eight-student board of management will make a presentation to the Oireachtas for a solid funding stream, so the USS can establish a proper administrative centre to cater for the growth in numbers.
Its case is strengthened by a shift in attitude to the role of the student in secondary education. The National Children's Office, the government agency responsible for implementing the National Children's Strategy, established the Student Council Working Group in June 2003.
All the partners in education are represented on the group, which will report to the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Brian Lenihan, in June, laying out a three-year strategy, including recommendations on the development of democratic student councils in every secondary school.
On the ground, USS members have been working hard to develop the student-council network in the Republic and Northern Ireland. Although three-quarters of Irish schools say they have student councils, the union claims that only a minority are working effectively, as the culture of secondary-student representation is in its infancy. Only one school in Ireland has a student sitting on its board of management.
"Schools that have democratic processes in place are the most successful in engaging pupils in civic issues," says O'Reilly.
"Students want the best for their schools, and where they are given a meaningful role better relationships develop all round. Students need guidance in the real business of running an effective school council, and we have secured sponsorship for a roadshow project, which will be going out to schools all over Ireland, working to develop their student councils and giving workshops on human-rights education."
It takes at least five years to build a student council with muscle, says O'Reilly. Students need to remember that credibility does not come overnight. The USS is only now building trust and respect among the other players in education. O'Reilly accepts that the union is at the beginning of a long process to bring secondary-student issues to the Cabinet table.
"We have reached critical mass as an organisation and have enough members and enough commitment to be regarded as a viable force in education," he says. "However, we cannot go much further without funding. We have fulfilled all the criteria required of us by the department. We have set ourselves up as a limited company, opened bank accounts and submitted a business plan. We have a constitution.
"Now we need to open a central base for the union instead of trying to process membership and conduct research from board members' bedrooms."
The concerns of secondary students do not necessarily clash with those of teachers, parents and the Government, but there is no doubt that the union's policy platforms are radical compared with the average teachers'-conference motion. Last month the union issued a press release condemning schools that it claims are teaching "the 'evils' of abortion to students and not giving them a fair and impartial view of the subject".
Union policy diverges from the values of religious teaching at a number of junctures. (The panel below outlines some other USS policy positions.) The union has a tough battle ahead to take on some of the sacred cows of Irish schooling.
"We are a young group. As we mature, our members will take up their places in public life and the USS will find more listening ears among those who have been involved in the movement. In Ireland we may be 25 years behind the international students-union movement, but we'll catch up fast."
O'Reilly will sit his Leaving Certificate in June, then move on, he hopes, to a degree in history and politics. He is confident that the union will flourish in the coming years. "We have built up an enormous membership, four regional councils, a comprehensive constitution and a body of research in just four years with no funding from any source.
"We are now in dialogue with the Department of Education, the National Children's Office, the teachers' unions, the parents' council and the National Youth Council of Ireland.
"We have brought the democratically decided opinion of Irish post-primary students to the table. Our role is critical now," O'Reilly adds. "We know how we want to see our society shaped in the future."
The Union of Secondary Students is looking for volunteers to take part in workshops on student councils and human rights in schools. Contact USS president Hazel Nolan at 087-9050713. For information on establishing and running a student council, visit www.studentcouncil.ie. The USS website is at www.ussonline.net
Hot topics for the Union of Secondary Students
The Union of Secondary Students held its agm at the Teachers' Club, on Parnell Square in Dublin, on March 29th and 30th. It focused on:
Access to higher-level subjects
USS president Hazel Nolan told delegates: "It is a disgrace that some students are being denied their rights to study subjects at higher level. This restricts the opportunities for those students to pursue certain professions, as well putting extra pressure on students to perform in other subjects to make up for CAO points. USS is going to question the Minister for Education on the matter."
School discipline
The USS board of management has been invited to sit on the Department of Education and Science's task force on discipline. "Students cannot respect codes of discipline that have not been agreed by everyone, including the students themselves," says vice-president Oisín O'Reilly. "Giving students a greater say in the working of the school improves the atmosphere in the classroom . . . Indiscipline will continue to be a problem facing schools unless the students are given equal input with the other partners in education."
School uniforms
Since its inception, the USS has been active in the reform of uniform regulations. "Forcing female students to wear skirts is an abuse of gender roles," says O'Reilly.
Expulsion
"It has come to our attention that a number of Irish students have been expelled over trivial infringements such as hairstyles and uniform regulations. We have intervened and quashed at least five expulsions in the last two years."
Access to facilities
The union hopes to raise the issue of student access to libraries, computers and other facilities with the Minister in the months ahead.
Student workers' rights
McDonald's recent decision to take Leaving Cert students off weekday rosters has been strongly criticised by the USS. "It's down to individual students and their parents to work out who works when. McDonald's is not society."
Sex education
The USS has been lobbying for same-sex education to be included in the post-primary curriculum.It is also deeply critical of schools that do not offer students a balanced view of abortion. "Most young people learn about sex from magazines," says O'Reilly. "We're lucky if we get the basic biological facts in school."
Ratemyteachers.ie
The controversial website, which was the talk of both the USS and the teachers' conferences last week, got a mixed response from students. Although many USS delegates admit the website is not an ideal platform for students' views, they welcome the opportunity to express their views. "We as students are in the classroom with teachers all the time; their performance affects how well we will do. We should be involved in the education process," says Nolan.
