Student leadership comes in many forms and is a unique feature of the learning process at BISP. We encourage students to develop a range of skills and qualities in a variety of ways, from taking greater responsibility for learning in the classroom to seeking ambassadorial roles within the school. Through leadership experience, students fine tune their interpersonal skills and build confidence and resilience when putting a personal vision into practice. Undeniably leadership experience in young people fosters personal growth and builds capacity and potential in both oneself and in others.
The school curriculum to a large extent decides what students should learn, but it does not define how the learning process should be experienced. In the Secondary School at BISP, students increasingly develop participative leadership skills where our staff invite students to collaborate and resolve issues without employing a hierarchy of authority or wisdom. This is known as ‘student agency’ and by encouraging students to have more control over their learning, we hope that they will leave our school with a range of skills that will support them in being lifelong learners, engaged humanitarians and empathetic people.
Congratulations to Yi Won Tang and Matti Puno – Head Students 2022
Leadership certainly reflects the actions that students take in the learning process and is not defined by status, position or a title. However, in order to inspire our students to make a positive difference, our school motto is to develop ‘leaders for tomorrow’. Each year our Senior Students apply for a range of leadership responsibilities including Head Student, House Captains and Wellbeing leaders. Students in lower years have the opportunity to become Year Group Representatives and feedback their views, perspectives and suggestions to the wider Student Leadership Team.
Our school values hearing the voice of our students as the most important stakeholder in our community. We believe that Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – the right of every child to freely express her or his views – is a basic entitlement within the education we provide. We also believe that it is right for students not to be passive recipients in the classroom, but to take on some of the ‘heavy lifting’ in the learning process, facilitating real partnership between the teacher and student community.
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
– John F. Kennedy
To find out more about student leadership at BISP contact Neil Crossland (Principal – Secondary)