Co-management in Schools: The Power of Shared Decision Making
Have you ever wondered why some students feel disconnected from their school community? Or why traditional school management often fails to address students’ real needs? The answer lies in our approach to decision-making in education.
Let’s take a look at how this innovative approach is transforming education and unleashing the potential of the next generation of active citizens.
Rethinking School Democracy: Understanding Co-management in Education
Have you ever considered the potential benefits of students having an equal say in the running of their schools? This is the fundamental principle of educational co-management, a concept that is transforming the educational landscape across Europe.
What is Co-management, really?
The Council of Europe defines it perfectly:
“Co-management is a living example of participatory democracy. It is a place for common reflection and co-production, combining the voice of young Europeans and that of public authorities responsible for youth issues, leading to a sharing and evaluation of experience.”
This powerful definition captures the essence of what makes co-management unique. Imagine a roundtable where all participants have an equal voice: students, teachers and administrators all have the same voting power. This concept is not simply a trendy term; it is a pragmatic approach to enhancing the democratic nature of schools and making them more engaging for all stakeholders.
The Council of Europe’s description of it as “a living example of participatory democracy” is indeed apt. However, it is important to consider how this concept is implemented in the context of everyday school life.
Three Pillars of Co-management
1. Everyone has a real voice
Imagine a school where:
- Student opinions are given the same weight as teachers’
- Decisions are made collectively, not imposed
- Everyone’s perspective is equally valued
2. True collaboration, not just consultation
This means:
- Creating spaces where students and staff can brainstorm together
- Building bridges between different school community members
- Turning “us vs. them” into “we”
3. Shared responsibility
Success depends on:
- Mutual respect between all members
- Learning from each other’s experiences
- Everyone taking ownership of decisions
The Numbers That Should Concern Us
Let’s look at some eye-opening statistics in the Western Balkans:
- Only 10.4% of students in Serbia show interest in student parliaments
- A shocking 50% of students don’t even know what their Student Council does
- In 24% of cases, teachers interfere with democratic class president elections
- Perhaps most concerning: 87% of young people prefer a “strong-hand” leader
The Reality Gap
While most schools have student councils on paper, the reality is quite different. Student representatives report being either:
- Not invited to important meetings
- Invited only as a formality
- Unable to effectively communicate with school management
What Does This Mean for Education?
These findings point to a larger issue: we’re teaching democracy in theory but not practising it in our schools. The exciting news is that we have the opportunity to bridge the gap between formal structures (like student councils) and actual student empowerment. This will help us to ensure that our students fully understand and value democratic participation.
The solution isn’t just to have student councils – it’s to change the way schools approach student participation. This is where co-management comes in, offering a new model that gives students real power in decision-making processes.
Why this matters for your school
The beauty of co-management is how it transforms traditional school dynamics. Instead of top-down decision-making, it creates a community where everyone has a stake in the school’s success. This isn’t just theory – schools using this approach report:
- More engaged students
- Better communication between staff and students
- More effective solutions to school challenges
- Stronger sense of community
Co-management is about checking how well students are learning and making changes if necessary (Micheeva & Murugova, 2019). To successfully apply these ideas in schools, we need to look at the complete picture, including the theoretical reasons for co-management and how to put it into practice. At the heart of educational co-management is a carefully designed system that balances different elements, from understanding the ideas to putting them into practice. This system can be analysed through three main points: its ideas, how it works, and the roles of all those involved.
Conclusion
Co-management is such a fantastic system! Rather than taking away authority, it’s all about sharing responsibility, which is so much fun! When students are involved in the decision-making process, they get to experience democracy first-hand, which is a great way to learn!
If we understand the basic ideas behind co-management, we can look at how it can be used and what effects it might have in a school. Managing what happens in schools is about more than just the teachers. It is also about the students’ feelings and how they learn.
The project „Co-managed high schools“is implemented by the Association LEAD (MKD) in partnership with Genesis project (BiH), Kosovar Youth Council (KS), Youth Network of Montenegro (MNE) and Connecting (SRB). The project is funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ program.
Reference:
Council of Europe. (n.d.). Co-management. Retrieved December 26, 2024, from https://www.coe.int/en/web/youth/co-management
Hargreaves, A., & O’Connor, M. T. (2018). Solidarity with solidity: The case for collaborative professionalism. Phi Delta Kappan, 100(1), 20-24.