It’s been a big couple of weeks for Inverell and Macintyre High School, as their new student leaders settle in. For those outside the school system, or even within, it can be tempting to think this doesn’t mean much.
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We often think about the importance of leaders in terms of what they have authority over – the more authority, the more power. In this light, compared to the Prime Minister, the mayor or even the school principals, an SRC doesn’t seem like much. Student leaders have authority over very few things, big picture-wise. They’ll be in charge of various school events, programs and funds, but can be overruled by teachers if necessary – so it’s easy to dismiss them as unimportant.
However authority and the power to enact change are not one and the same. Student leaders, if they are creative and determined, can have lasting effect on their school and community’s culture. Inverell High’s school captain Hannah Wales understands this, and said she was excited to have a voice – both for herself and other students.
Macintyre school captain Max Dolby didn’t take the responsibility lightly either, and sees school leadership as a stepping stone for a possible political career. Initially encouraged to join the SRC by his parents, Max said he was attracted to the role after realising the difference they could make in their school and community.
We see this in Inverell High’s reverse integration program with the support unit. In its early days now, the aim of the program is simple – for students with disabilities to get to know the rest of the school, and visa versa. It was championed by previous captain Ashleigh Campbell, who just wanted people to know how fantastic her younger sister Emi was. Ashleigh said she doesn’t see Emi’s disability – she’s simply her sister, and that’s what she wanted others to understand. She knew that many people simply didn’t have the chance to properly get to know the disabled community, and believed if they did, they would be able to see people for their personalities and not their disabilities.
This student-led program has the capacity to change the culture of the school and individual lives. For support unit students, it is a chance to develop their social skills and autonomy, to know they are fully accepted members of the school community. For the rest of the student body, it is a chance to grow in empathy and understanding.
This is the kind of change that doesn’t just get left behind in the schoolyard.
