The Vox populi: Ta démocratie à l’école! program is the result of a partnership between Élections Québec, the Assemblée nationale du Québec and the Fondation Jean-Charles-Bonenfant. It supports schools and student council coordinators who want to bring democracy to life in their schools. It offers, free of charge, a personalized support service, voting material, pedagogical tools and training to support those in charge of implementing a student council.
This year, the start of the new school year brings many changes for both students and teachers. In schools, student councils are faced with a new reality. That is why the training team has adapted its services to take into account the back-to-school plan and current health measures.
Here are some of the new features for schools registered in the program:
- support service by telephone or videoconference;
- online training (in French) for student council coordinators;
- a distance learning workshop for the school team;
- a self-supporting training package for elementary school student council members;
- training adapted to the context of distancing or remote learning for members of secondary school councils.
The place that a principal gives to the student council in decisions affecting the school environment and student life is a factor for success and a source of motivation for the young elected representatives and for all students in the school. This subject was addressed in the brief, Learning about and experiencing democracy in schools, submitted by Élections Québec during the consultations conducted for the reform of the Ethics and Religious Culture curriculum. We believe that young people must have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and experiences related to democratic citizenship in order to be able to exercise active and responsible citizenship. By setting up a student council, the school gives students a chance to learn about democratic values and to make their voices heard.
Be part of a network of schools that put democracy at the heart of their practices! Since 2015, more than 540 schools and as many as 18,592 young people have participated in Vox populi.
Would you like to benefit from this program or introduce it to others? Visit the Vox populi: Ta démocratie à l’école! website for information.
