It’s not often said in a classroom, and yet for 100 Year 7 to 12 students from 29 Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) secondary schools, having their voice heard was their focus these school holidays.
They gathered at the State Library for BCE’s 5th annual Festival of Ideas event on 28 September, run by students for students.
Student Voice is a concept driving the Festival of Ideas, where students are empowered to have their say in shaping their own learning and school environments, with the benefit of strengthening safety and belonging across BCE’s system of schools.
Students reflected on the ideas generated in former years, igniting their imagination as they worked to build on Student Voice and provide input into key pieces of work happening across BCE’s 146 schools.
And what the students had to say went all the way to the top.
BCE Executives and key stakeholders attended the festival, themed ‘Future of Voice’ to engage with students and hear directly from them about the change they want to make in their school communities.
BCE Deputy Executive Director Durm O’Riordan said BCE is the only education sector in Queensland running a student-led event focusing on the Student Voice concept.
“BCE is leading the way in Queensland by engaging student voices to help improve educational experiences,” he said.
“Consulting with students about their own education creates safer, more connected and engaged learning environments where students can grow, achieve, and succeed.”
Durm said he was “extremely impressed” at the maturity and insight shown by students who gave up their school holidays to collaborate and take responsibility for their education.
“Their remarkable efforts will not only transform their own world but also ignite a powerful wave of transformation across all BCE schools,” he said.
An additional focus of the event was the strengthening of adult and student partnerships, and the creation of platforms and roadmaps for engagement across the organisation, said the Deputy Executive Director.
“In 2023 we are looking back, in order to look forward,” he added.
“Over the past four years, we have listened and learned from our students who have told us safety, wellbeing, mental health, equity and inclusion, sustainability, and real-world readiness are important to them.
"Using the ideas from previous festivals as a starting point, we hope staff and students can continue to partner and build the future of student voice together at BCE and lead the way in true student participation and engagement.”
Help build Student Voice across BCE schools by telling us what Student Voice looks like in your school. To submit your schools’ Student Voice initiatives email Nadia Van Elswyk.
About Student Voice
The Student Voice Initiative was established in 2017, with the first Student Voice Consultant Team coming together in 2019. In 2023, the Student Voice Consultant Team consists of almost 30 BCE secondary students and volunteers (former BCE secondary students) from across BCE’s 39 secondary schools. The team works together to share the positive outcomes of Student Voice with a goal of growing the network across all BCE schools.
The vision is that BCE is a community of schools where students and staff work cohesively to create a student focused education system that empowers students to shape and enrich our world.