Student Council Elections
High School Students at the Arab International Academy Run for Student Council Elections
The Arab International Academy (AIA) seeks to communicate and apply its vision and mission in all aspects of school life and aspires to develop a generation of future leaders who can act with integrity, respect the opinions of others, solve problems, make collaborative decisions, value community service, and inspire others in their dedication to the contemporary issues in society. Through working towards its vision, the Academy provides students with opportunities to become actively involved in the decision-making process of their school and enables them to make their voice heard, plan purposeful activities and take initiatives in their communities.
The High School Student Council was established to achieve the school’s vision and realize its aspiration in developing responsible and principled students who demonstrate distinguished leadership and social skills, which would directly support their role in their school life. High school students emulated the democratic experience when they ran for Student Council elections last September.
In ensuring the success of the experience, the administration organized several workshops to educate students on the election process and the roles and responsibilities of student council members that involved a presentation that explained the details of the internal regulation document, which was then modified by students and faculty. Later, the committee announced the opening of candidacy for the student council elections, which consisted of 21 representatives from all grade levels, three students per grade. A total of 28 students were nominated. The committee granted the delegates three days to campaign before presenting their election program to their fellow students. Students elected an eleventh grader, Rashid Hussein, to head the council. Rashid called for the first meeting to finalize council members' selections and role distribution.
Rashid described this year’s election process as far more successful and productive than past ones. “We enjoyed a great experience where every student had an equal right to candidacy. The whole election process ran smoothly in an atmosphere of transparency and integrity. I have several suggestions, which I am planning to work hard to achieve this year. The most important of all is using e-books instead of paper books to help save the planet and reduce the weight of our school bags.”
Mr. Shadi Zidat, the Student Council Supervisor, highlighted the importance of the election procedures and their roles in deepening the students’ understanding of the theories and practices that relate to citizenship, democracy, integrity, and social justice. He added that the Academy aims to instill these ideals in students’ minds through real-life practices, which will, in turn, help students in stepping outside the prevailing assumptions that discriminate against individuals based on their color, age, or gender. The Academy takes pride in this successful experience, one which resulted from careful objective planning and meticulous preparations. Moreover, what remains to be of the utmost importance is capitalizing on this success and equipping student council members with all the necessary tools to develop their leadership and creative thinking skills, and to work effectively to grow this experience in the upcoming years.
