school council elections for 5yr olds?

[lululemon]

My Ds reception class has had an election for school council. He wasn't interested in standing but apparently half a dozen children were. they then had a vote and the two kids with the most votes were elected. The two who were elected are both white and middle class and, in a class where there is a huge diversity, both economically and ethnically, unrepresentative. Mainly though I wonder if they do understand what an election is, and if, at 5, they should be subjected to a public popularity contest. What do other schools do?
Apparently some of the ones that didn't get many votes were upset.

Reception seems very young to have elections and to be on the school council.
How do they contribute to school council discussions? DS1 is only interested in whether there is enough lego for everyone, can't imagine him being able to contribute to a school council meeting.
At DS1's school it is only the older children who are on the school council, certainly not reception or KS1 children.

school council at 5! how bizarre, i hope my son's school doesn't have them

At our school reception children attend school council - accompanied by a TA or Nursery Nurse who quietly explains what is going on. They do make contributions and the older children help them.

DD's school has this too - they're electing today, I think, and she'd love to be on the 'school cancel' as she calls it.

So what if the two that are voted are 'white and middle class'?? What's that got to do with the price of fish? They were elected by the class, end of.

Funny, I thought race was supposed to not be an issue - people of all ethnicities wanted to be treated equally?

Unless you live in an unusually homogenous area, then things like race and class are an issue in school. Of course they shouldn't be, but they are.
If they weren't schools wouldnt spend loads of time teaching equal oportunities and good citizenship, establishing anti-racism policies, and generally worrying why children from some ethnic or economic backgrounds do better than others.
I am not that bothered about who was elected. I mentioned it because it seemed to indicate a pattern at such a young age- most MPs are still white & middleclass. I am more concerned about whether elections at such a young age are a good thing.

i personally don't think they're a good thing. my ds(13) tried a few times at primary to run for council and never got it. it's like a popularity contest. maybe at senior school they can contribute more though.

They don't have school council elections or representatives until the juniors (y3) in the DSs' school. Which is just as well, because though I am in favour of enfranchisement, I can't help feeling that DS2 wouldn't know who to vote for.

As it is, it is the tall sporty children who get elected anyway, regardless of ethnicity - I guess they are the popular ones.

yes

it not popularity
they do a speech and do heads down voting

Our school has 2 representatives from each year group on the school council, including reception. Works really well.

they cover their eyes ont eh table

At our school (Junior)it's definitely not the 'tall sporty ones' who get elected. And in a largely white middle class school, with about 10% ethnic minorities & less than 5% ESL, the composition of last years council pretty much reflected that - out of 16, 2 were from ethnic minorities one of whom has ESL.
I do think 5 is probably too young to understand about voting & what's involved with the school council - I'd think it would be better for teachers to nominate observers who could report back to thier class (with help from a TA)- you could have different ones for each meeting so as many as possible get the opportunity.

Oh, the 'tall sporty' observation is just my take on the representatives from DS1's class. It may be purely coincidental.

Turns out in DD's school (at least for her year - year 2) it's a case of putting all the names of the people who want to do it in 2 hats (one for boys, one for girls), and the TA picks one from each. Seems fairer, I think.

We do school council elections, the names of all those that want to be on it on put on the board, and then the children write down (al la secret ballot)a boy and a girl who they think would make a good council member (after long talk discussing what qualities a council member should have etc).

We then count them up and then tell the children the result. We are an infant school and so far everyones been happy with it.

I think you'll find most schools have them, or if they don't they will soon enough.

dd2 (5) was elected. she's not tall or sporty but she is white and middle class. I suspect it's cos she talks more than everyone else put together and they voted to get her out of the classroom for a few minutes peace for everyone else.