Is Student Voice the same as Student Agency for Students of Determination?

 

DBSJP VALUES IN FOCUS: EQUALITY - STUDENT AGENCY

Is Student Voice the same as Student Agency for Students of Determination?

Colette Woolnough

Director of Inclusion

In response to the UN International Rights of the Child (Article 12) and the UK Revised SEN Code of Practice (2001), a drive for greater pupil participation for children and young people in their own decision making was enshrined in law. The idea that children have a right to receive information, express an opinion and have that opinion considered when making decisions that matter to them was introduced.

As a true champion of the rights of Students of Determination, I applaud this new way of thinking and ensure that, whatever a child or young person’s level of need or required support, we would take account of their experiences and their desires for the future, making sure their voices are heard and recorded.

Knowing a child or young person’s desires is also extremely important in helping them work towards a more independent future. Any parent of a Student of Determination, when asked what they want for their child in 5-10 years, will respond with happiness first followed by the ability to participate in society, to be able to work and to look after themselves.

In school, we achieve this in many ways: through targets set on Individual Education Plans; explicit

instruction; the teaching of self-advocacy; supporting choices; modelling decision-making; the gradual release of responsibility; self-reflection and goal setting. However, considering these actions and processes and aligning them with the student agency agenda prompts the question: is student voice is the same as student agency for Students of Determination?

So what is a student agency?

Student agency refers to the capacity and empowerment of students to take ownership of their learning, make decisions, and have a voice in educational processes. It involves students actively participating in their education, setting goals, making choices and taking responsibility for their learning journey. Clearly, this is closely aligned with student voice and ‘working towards independence’ processes stated above– “ah job done” you might say.

However, the concept of student agency shifts the focus towards student-centered learning, recognizing that students have valuable perspectives, interests, and abilities that can contribute to their own education. It promotes the idea that students are not passive recipients of knowledge but active participants in the learning process. It emphasizes the development of skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, and self-reflection. By fostering student agency, educators aim to empower students to become independent learners capable of making informed decisions, and taking ownership of their educational path and therefore, does actually make significant demands of the student and therefore, could perhaps exclude some Students of Determination.

The OECD has placed student agency at the heart of their Learning Compass 2030 agenda as it believes in the principle that students should have the ability and the will to positively influence their own lives and the world around them. They assert that when students are agents in their learning, that is, when they play an active role in deciding what and how they will learn, they tend to show greater motivation to learn and are more likely to define objectives for their learning. These students are also more likely to have “learned how to learn” – an invaluable skill that they can and will use throughout their lives - something we hold dear here at DBSJP and have been weaving into our curriculum through our strategic planning. Supporting the OCED-held view that students need training and support to acquire the skills required for effective student agency - is where we can come truly consider how we can ensure that students of determination are given agency over voice.

For many parents of Students of Determination, the journey from advocate to supporting cheerleader can be daunting. Where parents and educators have played a crucial role in empowering and advocating for children and young people, what are the actions we must take to hand back the agency to the children and young people- and what does this agency truly look like?

Finding this balance is something I have personally experienced as a parent of a Student of Determination. Recently, I found myself guiding my son towards a career choice that I thought might suit him better than the one he had voiced to me. After some time, I thought Goodness – did I really just do that with all I know as an educationalist – and sadly, I did. Having stopped myself in my tracks, I returned to basics and asked – what do you really want to do? And yet, despite everything I know as an educator, and despite having already reflected on the importance of my son’s agency, I did it again! Having listened to him “properly”, this time I went off to research and advocate for him in his chosen field. Again – where is his agency in this? – I promise I am working on it!

From our ‘working towards independence’ list of processes, the two areas I believe are most important for student agency are: self-advocacy, whereby we teach our students how to communicate their challenges, strengths, and accommodations to teachers, peers, and other relevant individuals; and decision-making whereby we teach children and young people how to make decisions and choices that are reasonable and achievable.

The special educational needs of children lay on a continuum, and there are many children and young people who will always need their parents to be their advocates and provide much of their agency. However, it is an important concept for us all to consider and truly reflect upon. For each individual child, I believe we must move voice to agency, appropriate to their needs.