High school activism YAY! (1 Viewer)

[james_active]

Currently the world of cultural and political dissent exists far from the uniformed, civil surrounds of high school as it appears that it can only be located in the abstract realms of university. THe piont of this message is so that this will hopefully change.

Im currently a student at UTS who looks back vividly at my wnat to get involved in various political and social issues but not really knowing how to do so. There campaings that are done in high schools are mediated by staff who essentially determine what action is appropriate. The goal is to give students a taste of the issue but not really allow them to have autonomy over their the action they take. This is a problem i personally have with school captiains. They don't really represent the students and often they don't have control over issues. The staff make decisions not students.

THe analysis of why a student should get involved in a school-based campaigning is also flawed by the intrinsic connection to a superficial careerist ideology. Comments such as "it will look good for you when you leave school" or "its what employees like to see" are effective in only debasing the campaign and creating opportunism through dissenting issues that should be analysed in great depth. Activism is about more than the good feeling you get inside your body when helping other people. THat is called philanthropy. Activism is about developing a sophisticated critique of an issue or aspect of society eg. refugees in detention centres, and acting not merely in a self fulfulling manner that will be beneficial to yourself, but rather acting in a way that will challenge the institution, system, corporation etc., which alows such an issue to exist.

The act of actually building a campaing that will be effective needs organisation. THe sort of action that is taken depends upon the individuals witihin the collective of people who share a common interest in protesting the issue. For example, this could range from anything from a speak out with a megaphone out the front of a biulding, to creative dissent such as a satirical play in front of a company profiteering out of the Iraq war.

OVerall, this most imporant thing needed for activism is collective support and collective decision making. This means getting together with a group of people that feel the samw way as you abvout an issue and discussing how you could make a difference. The next step is actually doing the action. As i mentioned earlier the action should be directed by ehat you want to achieve in terms of the campaign.

So... the piont of me writing this is to try to see if high school students are interested in activism. AS much as i like boredofstudies, i would like to see something like a NSW high school activist e-list developed which is a space to discuss political issues, talk about campaigns, and meet other people to collectively organise some very cool activistism. I am personally interested in the war in Iraq and the privatisation of its public industry by US corporations. Naturally, with a Liberal government in power the list of things one can be critical of is endless. This e-list would be good to allow students to engage with political issues and make the connection between politics and the impacts upon the society we live in and us as indivduals.
SO IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED THEN REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ON THE DISCUSSION BOARD OR EMAIL ME. ALSO IF YOU KNOW OTHER PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED PLEASE TELL THEM.
Any questions i will be happy to answer.
Oh... and in terms of what age you should be...there isn't really one. ANd if you don't really know much about a certain political issue but realise that an inequality is being perpetuated then it would be good to get involved as well.
I see this list as potentially involving activists from ALL of NSW not just the city. I myself am from the country and now realise that with support and knowledge even in Tamworth effective actions could have been organised.

I would see this e-list as non-hierarchical open space to discuss anything without predjudice. Also there any a few uni students, especially here at UTS willing to help faciliatate this project. SO i hope you want to get involved
CHeers James

 

[iambored]

if you want more replies bold the most important 25 words

 

[MoonlightSonata]

It's nice to see enthusiasm but generally high-schoolers are trying to focus on their HSC

(By-the-by you probably just alienated a considerable number of people by saying that just because "a liberal government is in power" things must be bad)

 

[dimzi]

(By-the-by you probably just alienated a considerable number of people by saying that just because "a liberal government is in power" things must be bad)

More like he alienated a lot of people cause he wrote so fucking much.

Lesson #1: High School students have short attention spans.

 

[paper cup]

uh I used to post heaps here, then I got sick of arguing with idiots and I kind of lost steam and started making stupid and lame posts.
go activism, but HSC comes first.

 

[Xayma]

The lack of resources High School students have as opposed to the University Organisation (money, infrastructure, legal advice) also limits the activism.

 

[Phanatical]

My work as a high school activist carried over into uni. Then again, I didn't go around marching for "Social Justice" and other stupid things - I talked about an SRC that represented students, and fought with the school over unsafe working conditions. I even lead a coup d'etat of the SRC once, marching sixty students into an SRC meeting and taking the damn thing over - but that was more for the fun of it.

 

[leetom]

The extent of my high school activism is chastising my classmates for not having become enrolled voters. That, and I promised the branch I'd circulate some anti-IR reform leaflets which I still have to print off.

I think, that if anybody could be bothered trying to organise an activism effort in high schools, the biggest challange would be overcoming the general 'couldn't be fucked' attitude. Also, if anything of the sort was organised along the lines suggested by the thread starter, such a movement would probably dissolve into an unsightly far-left propaganda front.

 

[walrusbear]

My work as a high school activist carried over into uni. Then again, I didn't go around marching for "Social Justice" and other stupid things - I talked about an SRC that represented students, and fought with the school over unsafe working conditions. I even lead a coup d'etat of the SRC once, marching sixty students into an SRC meeting and taking the damn thing over - but that was more for the fun of it.

why is social justice stupid?

 

[malkin86]

Also, politiking during class time is intensively frowned upon, and no HS activism group could be given any particular support or attention, due to BOS policies about not endorsing any political viewpoint to the children (as the ISCF groups do get support - teacher mentorship and space in which to meet). You couldn't even hand out leaflets, I reckon, without them being confiscated as being reactionary or something.

 

[LadyBec]

More like he alienated a lot of people cause he wrote so fucking much.

Lesson #1: High School students have short attention spans.

i'm not even in high school anymore, and I STILL couldnt be bothered reading it all

 

[Captain Gh3y]

All High School students are too stupid and unimportant to have opinions, let alone express them publicly. Furthermore, 'youth leadership' or 'youth activism' etc. are oxy-morons.

 

[Serius]

i dont have a couldnt be fucked attitude and i understand there is shit wrong with the world but i dont conform to the standard lefty activist

e.g I dont think the war in Iraq is such a bad thing so i wouldnt be interested in campaigning against it [ note: this is not a discussion i have my ideas and thats it, i wouldnt even put them forward except as its a useful example]

on the flipside i agree that protecting the environment is a worthwhile investment of my time - but overall i think that it is going pretty well and changes have been made so i am not big time activist on this but if i saw some protesting going on i would join in.

Massive protests like union action, sit ins , strikes and marching on parlament
iam all up for because it is something big and it can make a difference helll iam even up for rioting like what used to go on- now that changed shit. What iam not up for is standing around while some idiot yells at passerbys on a megaphone or hands out leaflets at lunchtime.

Then theres the shit i care about thats big issues that people realise but dont want to deal with [ such as aids in africa] and the little issues that people dont know about [ such as religion and education becoming one thing in America. note: see Evolution vs Inteligent design thead or read similarily named article in Time magazine.]

Some shit makes a difference, some doesnt and thats my attitude. You can be sure i will be more active in uni, but for the whole day i have left at highschool i donmt think there is much to do. Even if i went back in time i still wouldnt do anything because school isnt exactly a great place for it.

i do agree with you on students and their power and how school captains dont actually do anything or represent us and ive argued against it but it didnt make any difference. Only person ive ever see make a differnece would be one of my friends who heads the SRC [ not just in the school but in the region].

gl in future activism though, even if i dont agree with the issues you are protesting about i beleive it is important to voice your opinion and try and make a change

 

[volition]

All High School students are too stupid and unimportant to have opinions, let alone express them publicly. Furthermore, 'youth leadership' or 'youth activism' etc. are oxy-morons.

That's pretty much true. It's like all this child forum stuff that goes on, as though the children somehow understand an issue better than fully grown and matured adults.

 

[picon]

Also, politiking during class time is intensively frowned upon, and no HS activism group could be given any particular support or attention, due to BOS policies about not endorsing any political viewpoint to the children.

Even so, there are teachers around who bring (current) politics into the classroom. I disagree w/ this because it discourages people from speaking up in class. The whole 'if you don't agree with the teacher's argument, there's something wrong with you' mentality.

 

[malkin86]

All teachers whinge a little about the wages cuts and conditions from time to time... And bringing in all sides of an issue, balancedly, can be quite interesting - but specificially endorsing their own view on a variety of issues shouldn't be on.

 

[jimsim15]

Response to comments

this is the person who wrote the initial message/proposal. Sorry for the length. I would like to clarify some issues raised.
I was thinking that more pre-HSC people would read this and therefore they may be interested. After doing HSc last year i know that it is difficult to find time for activism. Howver what i was suggesting was a space/e-space could exist to merely keep interested students in touch with issues that the general media does not publish, or be allowed ccess to material that challenges what the media portrays. I feel that there is space and time to get involved if you feel strongly about an issue, and that a space or resources that allow this would be beneficial.
THe main aim of this would be the politicise high school students before they come to uni so they essentially have a head start in terms of activism. i feel it is also important that high school studnets get involved in protesting their future education. The introduction of VSU, increases in HECS, reserving more spots for full fee paying students (25% AT UTS AND 35% at USYD currently) are all issues that will effect high school students. It will also help develop critiques of society and enequalities it creates if such an idea is followed through.
Activism can be done with not to much time required aswell. I am wondering if those commenting on the 'time' needed to do activism are actually involved at the moment?
James

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Naturally, with a Liberal government in power the list of things one can be critical of is endless.

Yes in your perfect political utopia there would be no use for critical thought at all, because of course anyone who disagrees with your view is 'naturally' wrong.

The introduction of VSU, increases in HECS, reserving more spots for full fee paying students (25% AT UTS AND 35% at USYD currently) are all issues that will effect high school students.

Have you ever considered that students paying full fee's actually leave MORE spaces for hecs students/ save hecs students money? Think about it - since say 30% require no government assistance, there is a 30% saving, which means that saving can be passed on to hecs students.

I think your problem with fee-paying is jealousy of the positive affect it has on some.

 

[jimsim15]

In my perfect political utopia there would constant use forcritical thought as i believe that society is not static or fixed. Thereofre i don't think a fixed utopian society is possible, eg. Marxism, as the social relations within society influence they way it is structured. However, our society should not be based around greed and personal self interest for capital, which it is currently predicated upon. I feel that society would work more effectively with greater input for ALL people in society, not just those who have wealth and/or power. I don't think any view is 'naturally' wrong, but i do think that views should be critically considered when discussing better societal structures.

For your ideas on full fees im not quite sure what your talking about. THere are limited number of spots at university. Example, THere are 40,000 university spots that would have once been accessible to all students from all socio-economic backgrounds, rich or poor. With full fees 25% eg. 10,000 of those spots are now reserved for full fee paying students while only 30,000 for those without the money. I actually sat in when this was discussed at a Board meeting this year at UTS. Its not too difficult to understand, and more spots aren't magically created unfortunately.
Also the Howard government has cut $5billion form education since in power. This has been a bit of a problem with public education overall.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Static numbers of spots? I'm afraid you are the mistaken one. Do a search for 'new university places' in google please.

Now that that issue is behind us, can you see that having students whom pay for themselves enables for there to be a greater benefit/greater numbers of students who do not pay for themselves? If all spots were hecs mandatory then those students with the money to buy into a course would be getting money at the detrement of students who cannot.