A student council is a representative body composed of students elected by their peers to address school-related matters and promote student interests. While structures vary by country and institution, student councils often include roles such as president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. In many systems, the class president serves as a member or delegate within the broader council structure. The house system is a traditional feature of schools in the United Kingdom.
Display in University High School, Victoria, with the names of the former school houses.
Two related but distinct bodies often exist: the student council, led by a student council president, and class committees, led by class presidents.[7][8]
The student council/government/ASB, represents the entire student body and manages school-wide activities and policies. The student council president is supported by other student leaders. Class committees represent individual classes or grades, handling class-specific activities and concerns while cooperating with the student council.[9]
Typical roles in student council and class committees
Role
Description
Typical Holder
Advisor
Oversees the committee and coordinates with administration
Some schools also assign class presidents roles in managing class funds, overseeing student service initiatives, or contributing to school governance. The term of office for a class president is one year in most schools. The student holding the office usually has the option of running again for the coming year.[15][16][17]
The senior class president specifically represents students in their final year of high school or college. They typically carry heightened responsibilities, including:[21][22]
A school captain is a student appointed or elected to lead the student body of a school, usually in their final year (Year 12 in secondary schools, Year 6 in primary schools). The role is similar to a student body president in the United States and represents students in interactions with faculty and the wider community.[23][24] School captains are mainly found in British Empire legacy school systems: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India, etc. The role is less common in the United Kingdom, where Head Boy and Head Girl positions are more typical.[25][26][27] In some schools, the captain may also hold the position of head prefect. Captains are often recognized by a badge or other symbol of office. The Head Girl and Head Boy and the school captain can both exist within the same school[28]
By country
Japan
The class system was introduced in Empire of Japan in 1885 (Meiji 18). It began to be implemented in large schools in the early 1880s.[29][30][31]
After the 1989 United NationsConvention on the Rights of the Child, discussions on student participation and opinion rights increased, involving lawyers, educators, and forming tripartite councils among schools, guardians, and students. Student councils' roles expanded, although some declined.[32]宮下 与兵衛 (2016). 高校生の参加と共同による主権者教育. かもがわ出版. ISBN978-4-7803-0834-1.
China
In China, the head of a class is commonly known as the “class representative” (班代表) or “class leader” (班長).[33] Additionally, there are often designated student officers for each academic subject.[34]
Europe
Schools in other parts of Europe such as in Germany and Austria, secondary schools use the term "student speaker" ("Schülersprecher" in Germany, "Schulsprecher" in Austria) for schoolwide student representatives and "class representative" ("Klassensprecher") for classroom representatives.[35] Similarly, the Netherlands high schools are using the term "class representative" ("klassenvertegenwoordiger")[36][37][38]
Italy
In Italy, the rappresentante d’istituto (institution representative) is an elected student who serves on the school's Consiglio d’Istituto (Institute Council), the main governing body of a secondary school.[39] This role was introduced by the 1974 delegated education laws.[40]
These representatives attend council meetings, voice student concerns, and may organize assemblies or activities. They also coordinate the Comitato studentesco,(student committee), made up of class representatives.[41][42]
Elections are held annually, typically in October or November. Students vote using the D'Hondt method, and three or four representatives are elected, depending on school size.[43] Terms last one year.[44][45]
In the Philippines, class presidents are part of a larger structure of student government recognized by the Department of Education. Elections are held annually, and class officers often coordinate activities, projects, and represent students at school-level assemblies.[46]
United Kingdom
Many UK secondary schools operate a Student Council or similar body, typically composed of elected representatives from each form group and supported by members of the senior leadership team.
In some schools, students in Year 12 may apply or be nominated for senior student leadership roles. These may include a Head Boy and Head Girl, along with their deputies, collectively referred to as the Heads of School.[47] Other schools may appoint a School Captain and Vice-Captain, either as alternative or additional titles[48]. The specific structure and responsibilities of these roles vary by institution.[49]
Some schools maintain a Student Representative Council (SRC) made up of elected students. Peer support schemes are also common, where older students—often from Year 10—are assigned to help younger students, particularly those new to the school in Year 7.[52][53]
In California, public schools that receive state or federal funding are required to establish a School Site Council (SSC), composed of parents, teachers, students, school administrators, and other staff. The SSC develops and monitors a school site plan, aligns the budget with categorical funds, and recommends the Single Plan for Student Achievement to the school board.[54]
The SSC president, who may be a student, is elected by council members and can serve alongside a class president or student body president. Similar councils exist in other states, including Texas (Site-Based Decision-Making Committees), Kentucky (School-Based Decision Making Councils), and Illinois (Local School Councils), among others.[55][56][57]
The stereotype of the class president has been featured prominently in books films, and television[58][59] Common portrayals include the class president as a high-achieving, rule-following student—often either the socially popular figure or the academic underdog who unexpectedly claims the title. Since the early 20th century, the class presidency has also been used metaphorically in politicalallegory, including analogies for figures such as the president of the United States to roles for African-American women in the U.S. Congress.[60][61]
In anime , manga , light novels, and video games set in school environments, student councils; and by extension, class presidents are frequently depicted, often wielding exaggerated levels of authority.[62] These portrayals commonly reflect hierarchical structures or political satire within youth-centered storytelling.[63][64][65]
Mizuki Kirimiya appears as the class president in the visual novel Yume Miru Kusuri.
Courtney from Total Drama Island is mentioned as having run for class president before participating in the show.
In My Hero Academia, both first-year classes of the U.A. Hero Course elect representatives. Class 1-A's president is Tenya Iida; Class 1-B's is Itsuka Kendo.
Misaki Ayuzawa is the student council president in the anime and manga Maid Sama!.
Notable individuals who served as class president. Some students have held leadership positions such as class president, head boy/girl, or school captain. See List of individuals who served as student leaders in schools for the full roster.
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