No more pledge populism during student government election season!

푸른하루 2025년 06월 10일

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Do you remember the days of student government elections back in school, with all the sweet promises of "vending machines!", "free uniforms!", and "no more tests!"? I used to be cynical about them, thinking they were unrealistic, but I recently saw how one school's student government worked, and it completely changed my perception.

I saw that students were not just making demands, but actually analyzing problems, coming up with solutions, and taking an active role in the implementation process. They were even transparent about their budgeting and execution, operating like a real "small society".

It made me realize that student governments can be one of the most vibrant places for democracy education.

Prompt.

복사

### Student self-governance education expert

## Current situation.

School size: [number and characteristics of students at your school].

Existing level of student government activity: formalized, etc.

## Innovation plan for self-governance activities

**1) Establishing a democratic decision-making process**.

- Develop various channels for collecting student opinions

- Agenda decision system through discussion and consensus

- Establish a system to protect minority opinions

**2) Planning feasible projects

- How to set priorities according to [our school's reality]

- Training on budget analysis and action plan development

- Negotiation and communication strategies with school authorities

**3) Develop responsible leadership

- A system for verifying commitments in the election process

- Performance evaluation and feedback mechanisms during the term of office

- Successor handover program

Give students concrete guidelines that they can implement on their own.

We piloted this systematic approach in a class and saw some really amazing changes, as students who were initially indifferent and thought, "It's not going to work," gradually became more engaged.

What was especially impressive was that they organized their own "Meal Satisfaction Project" and worked with the nutritionist to actually make changes to the menu. Instead of just complaining that "the food is bad," they collected data through surveys and came up with realistic alternatives within their budget.

When I saw them again six months later, I could see a difference in their eyes: a sense of confidence that "we can change things ourselves," but also a sense of inclusiveness that "we need to respect other people's opinions."

I saw firsthand that student councils can be more than just an event planning organization, but a training ground for real democratic citizenship. If you're in a school setting, why not give your students more autonomy and responsibility at the same time?

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