Students ‘need say in school policies’

PUPILS must be given a voice in the development of school behaviour policies, Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan said at the weekend.

She told the National Parents Council-Primary (NPC-P) annual conference that education legislation places no obligation on schools to consult with young people in developing codes of behaviour.

“In my experience, deviancy is less likely to occur when students feel ownership of their environment, take an active role in the monitoring of their school, and where there is a peer environment which does not favour bad behaviour,” she said.