Are you a young South Australian who wants to participate in decision-making?  If you’re a student who is going into, or already in years 10, 11 or 12 at school, you can apply to be a member of the statewide student representative council.  This council operates a little differently from most school SRCs in that it is wholly student led.  This means that young people who want to work with other likeminded young people to bring about the changes in society they wish to see can be part of a council whose focus is just that! Setting the agendas and delivering on the changes that are needed to improve the lives of all young South Australians.

The South Australian Student Representative Council (SA SRC) ensures young people have a voice in policy and decision making on those issues and areas which matter to you most.

An initiative of South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly, presented in partnership with the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) and supported by the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition (NIYEC), the SA SRC is a body consisting of approximately 160 members selected annually. Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 from across the state, work together throughout the school year to create genuine, student-led change within their own communities.

An annual SA SRC Summit held in Adelaide each year, provides the opportunity for new and returning members to meet and determine which issues will be prioritised by the various project groups for the coming year. 

Project groups meet regularly online to determine the actions they wish to undertake to address the issues they’ve prioritised, with guidance and support provided by members of the CCYP, FYA and NIYEC teams.

Applications for membership open in late November each year. For more information about applying click here.

“If we are able to empower the youth of SA then they will believe in themselves and create a snowball effect that will make the world a better place.” – 2023 SA SRC Member

SA SRC issues prioritised for action

Below is the list of current SA SRC issues that were prioritised by members who attended the Inaugural SA SRC Summit held in March this year. Member Groups are working together on actions that will bring positive change in relation to these issues.

Student Voice

The problem:

  • Young people are rarely present when decisions about their education and school are made
  • Many young people do not have access to adults who support and encourage them to make their opinions heard

Overarching vision:

  • Young people are well informed about ways to support social change and feel like they are able to engage in advocacy and influence decisions that affect them
  • Young people are able to contribute meaningfully to decisions that affect their school

Goals for 2023:

  • Develop a set of minimum standards for student voice in schools, that schools are able to sign up to commit to upholding

Mental Health

The problem:

  • Many young people do not have access to adults who support and encourage them to seek professional help
  • Young people are not equipped with the resources to recognise symptoms of mental ill health and how to make a plan to address it
  • Stigma prevents students and teachers alike from talking about the importance of seeking support for mental illness or moments of acute stress and burn out
  • Not all school counsellors are equipped to provide a culturally safe space for LGBTQIA+ students and students from various cultural backgrounds

Overarching vision:

  • The mental health of students across South Australia is prioritised in every aspect of the curriculum to support their healthy development
  • Young people have better access to affordable, professional mental health support
  • There is no longer a stigma around mental ill health and seeking support

Goals for 2023:

  • TBC

Environment & Transport

The problem:

  • Climate change is set to disrupt everything, including our education system
  • Many students report feeling climate despair and anxiety about the future of the planet. Young people want to know that their schools and governments are taking action to reduce the impacts of climate change so they can focus on their education

Overarching vision:

  • Schools in South Australia are sustainable and have reduced environmental impact
  • Schools provide and example for students, their families, and for other institutions to take action to reduce their carbon footprint
  • Sustainable schools give students the education and institutional culture to encourage the development of environmentally conscious global citizens

Goals for 2023:

Diversity & Inclusion

The problem:

  • Consent education is not taught in all schools, nor is it prioritised in others. There is inconsistency in the way it is taught
  • The sexual education curriculum does not account for LGBTQIA+ students
  • First Nations history is still not taught in the curriculum
  • Set texts and films are largely written by members of the dominant culture, leaving important perspectives of LGBTQIA+ people, women and non-binary people, disabled people, and people of colour outside the classroom

Overarching vision:

  • An inclusive curriculum that reflects the diversity of our society
  • South Australian LGBTQIA+ students feel safe, supported and celebrated in their school communities – everyone deserves to bring their whole self to school without feeling shamed
  • Schools in South Australia are actively anti-racist at all levels
  • Young people from all cultural and religious backgrounds feel safe and supported in their schools

Goals for 2023:

  • Work with the Commissioner for Children and Young People to develop youth friendly content on relationships, identity and sexual health, with accurate and accessible answers to common questions that young people have
  • Develop and implement an anti-racism checklist for schools

Education Reform

The problem:

  • Young people are rarely present when decisions about their education and school are made
  • Many young people do not have access to adults who support and encourage them to make their opinions heard

Overarching vision:

  • Young people are well informed about ways to support social change and feel like they are able to engage in advocacy and influence decisions that affect them
  • Young people are able to contribute meaningfully to decisions that affect their school

Goals for 2023:

  • Develop a set of minimum standards for student voice in schools, that schools are able to sign up to commit to upholding