Listening to the voices of young people: working towards the genuine participation of young people in discussions about school transformation

In the past decade there has been an increasing move in many countries across the world towards listening to the voices of young people in schools. Pupil voice work (also referred to as student voice work) aims to elicit the views of pupils with whom schools work, with the aim of transforming school practices, which will ultimately improve pupils’ experiences in school. In this chapter consideration is given to the core values which underpin pupil voice work; the tensions which surround the normative ideal of pupil voice work are highlighted and the practices and process which limit the application of these ideals are discussed. The chapter draws on empirical data from a three year evaluation of the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA), focusing specifically on the ways in which children and young people were involved in decision-making within schools, and on the resulting transformations made to school policies and practices. Overall, the chapter aims to open up debates and raise questions about the potential and possibilities for pupils to be genuinely involved in discussions about the transformation of their schools.