Year 1 School Council?

[kissitbetter2]

My 6year old DD has just started Year 1 and had made a fantastic start to school life. Today was the elections of her school council - 6 children are selected supposedly on merit of being kind, helpful and considerate. It turns out that all the children who wanted to be considered for Council had to stand up and the remaining classmates had to go and stand by the candidate they chose. No-one stood by my DD. I have spent the last hour consoling and reassuring my 5 year old that she is liked by her classmates, she is kind and helpful and that she can and does show this in different ways without being on the Council.

I am devastated for her and the other children left standing alone. It turned out to be no more than a thinly veiled popularity contest run under the auspices of class decisions. It further rankles that the girl chosen by her peers is the pampered, spoilt rotten princess who wears diamond studded earrings and Lelly Kellys to school. Sure she's popular but because she's perceived as having what the other girls aspire to have.

How would you handle this situation Mumsnetters? Am I overreacting?

X

I think parents can often be a bit over precious about school disappointments but in this case I think you are justified in being cross with the school.

In truth most class elections are pure popularity contests but I think they can be much better managed by having some form of secret ballot. For yr 1 children that can be as simple as heads down on desks with eyes shut then hand in the air when you want to vote for a name thats called out.

Your poor daughter-I hope you managed to reassure her

that is hard. my eldest was on the school council in year 1. her class were asked who wanted to be considered for it and then the teacher said the names and counted the hands up to vote for them. I think everyone got at least 1 vote from what DD said and she got picked (she is fairly popular but very unassuming and actually I think was picked primarily because the others knew she was sensible). In the other class the children were asked who wanted to do it and the teacher decided.

I think it is right the children get to volunteer and that the class get to vote because it is after all their representative but I think it should be done in a closed ballot really to avoid things like this, also if it was closed then there is the possibility the popular one wouldn't have been picked because if people can vote in private then there is no peer pressure.

It is a hard lesson for her and horrible she has had this, I think you ought to mention to the teacher how disappointed she was and how much it has knocked her confidence. not that she didn't get voted in but that she didn't get any votes at all. it is too late for them to change it this year but they can do it differently in the future. AND I think the teacher should speak to your daughter about it and help to build her confidence back up.

I remember this well in ds old school. Children voted and from what ds told me he knew how many had voted and who for each child in the class. He was pretty hurt by the whole experience so I totally understand how you feel OP.

Yes, school councils are (maybe) a good thing when handled correctly (secret vote) but I'm pretty sure the children would tell eachother who they'd voted for anyway, especially in this age group.

I've yet to find out how this is handled in his new school, hopefully much better.

Gosh what a horrible way to pick someone!

what a stupid system

the existing school council plus ht choose here , in secret, after interviewing candidates

i would complain. it is thoughtless

At the school where I work, the two representatives from each year are chosen by the Head/form teachers. I think it is the case that you cannot be chosen more than once.

If children are going to vote, which I am not opposed to, they sure surely be able to write a name on a bit of paper privately.

In our school, (small rural primary) the children who want to do it are put in a hat and someone from that year is picked out by a child from that year group. It is the same for the eco committee. I don't think your schools system is a good one and I think YANBU. It shouidn't be a popularity contest. And I am a TA and Midday Supervisor if that helps.

They're always a popularity contest in my opinion. Total waste of time as the children who would really benefit from doing it will never get picked.

Popularity contest here too. DS1 was always picked for everything. DS2 is never picked, despite having better ideas. Glad he is in y6 so this is the last year of it TBH.

What a mean way to do it. When I do elections in my KS1 class I make the children close their eyes and vote by raising their hands. I then pretend it's very close even if one child got one/ no votes.

Unconfident or less popular children do sometimes volunteer to be voted for and it doesn't do their confidence any favours to feel publically humiliated.

Secret ballot here. Still ends up being popularity contest but at least with a semblance of decency and a lack of cruelty.
I would think thoughtless, lazy teacher.
I would complain about the system and suggest they think again about their election method.
Hardly democratic!