Some teachers and boards of management do not even know that student councils exist in their schools, new research has found.
At the start of last year, 561 out of 744 second-level schools had a student council. The councils are set up to represent students' issues and give them a voice in the affairs of the school.
Yesterday, Minister of State for Children Brian Lenihan called on principals, teachers, students and school management to promote student councils in their schools. He was speaking at the launch of Second-Level Student Councils in Ireland - a study produced by the children's research centre at Trinity College Dublin.
"All second-level schools should have democratic and effective student councils that work in partnership with management and staff," he said.
The report recommends setting up a support service for student councils. Mr Lenihan said he would be discussing this with Minister for Education Mary Hanafin.
He also announced funding for a new resource in the civic, social and political education curriculum which will address the rights of children. Forming student councils, or improving existing ones, will be part of this new module which will soon be introduced.
The TCD research found that students and school management had very different views of the role of student councils.
Students believed that the council should have an active role in making the school a better place to be in, while boards of management and senior management saw consultation as the main role of the council.
The report calls for a shared understanding of the role of the council, and says management and staff must support the councils.
One of the report's authors, Anna Fiona Keogh, said student councils were found to have created a positive school atmosphere and a caring school environment. "Student councils in some schools were reported to have a beneficial impact on issues such as discipline, bullying and staff/student relations," she said.
Athlone Community College is one of the few schools where the school council is represented on the board of management.
Student representative Seán Kelly said the council had dealt with issues such as the provision of recycling bins, the improvement of canteen facilities, bullying policy and the provision of a bus shelter.
The report recommends that student council activities should be held in class time.
It also calls for training for council members.
