Sangha of Auspicious Companions

The Schools Giving Children a Say in How They Are Run

When a six-year-old suggests a “buddy bench” for lonely classmates and watches it become real, something shifts – not just in the schoolyard, but in how that child understands their own place in the world. Smart School Councils, a UK charity founded by former teacher Greg Sanderson, has built a simple platform that gives even the youngest pupils a structured voice in shaping their school life, with nearly 90% of participating students now reporting that they feel listened to. The premise is modest but the stakes are not: as trust in democratic institutions erodes and young people grow increasingly disenchanted with politics, Sanderson believes that civic confidence must be cultivated long before anyone is old enough to vote. As assistant headteacher Ellie Nott puts it, “If you can look back and say, ‘I had an idea when I was six, and somebody listened, and then it happened’, that will stand children in good stead, hopefully, to vote when they’re older.” What the project quietly reveals is that democracy doesn’t fail first at the ballot box – it fails when people never learn, in their bones, that their voice can change anything at all.

Be The Change

Today, bring the spirit of this experiment into a conversation you’re already having — at work, at home, or with a friend — by asking someone whose opinion is rarely sought what they think should change and then genuinely listening to build on what they say, rather than waiting for your turn to speak.