Elections provide a way for the citizens to choose their leaders or it is a yardstick to know people’s opinion regarding a candidate who is nominated for the post at the State level or at the Centre. Being democratic in its ideals and as everything is accomplished in the spirit of openness, and not secrecy, the students of Podar World School, Sherkhi, have the right to know what is going on within the School by actually being a part of the Student Council through the process of election. The student council members or the leaders who would lead the school for the academic year 2016-17 would come from the students through an election process which is fair, just and not slanted so that a favoured group can control the School.
With these noble intentions the SEC (School Election Committee) comprising of the Principal, Ms. Preeta Pillai and 3 to 4 senior teachers formed the posts that need to go through the Election process to form the Student Council. These comprised of the posts of Head Boy, Head Girl, Sports Captain Boy and Sports Captain Girl. As nominations for all Posts of Student Council are required to be invited from all students of highest 2 standards (X &XI) of the school, the nomination forms where a student can nominate themselves for maximum 3 posts, were distributed as a part of the first stage of the election procedure. The filled nomination forms were scrutinized by the SEC not only for Headship or Sports Captainship but also for the house posts such House Captains, House Vice Captains, Cultural Prefects, Cleanliness Prefects etc. The respective House Mistress and House teacher then chose minimum 2 or 3 students who qualified for the Election round for each post.
The school was then set for the Campaigning stage, wherein the supporters of each candidate that were short listed for each of the posts were escorted to all the classes from 5th to 11 with posters, badges carrying their symbols, using slogans and banners to woo student voters to elect for their candidate. This was mainly done during zero period, which was formed by deducting 5 minutes from the first four periods and during the recess time under the vigilance of a few teachers. It was fun watching the student supporters of each candidate actually carrying their candidate on shoulder at times and speaking about them to the class students while the candidate too added to their speeches promising of better facilities at Podar and better sporting activities and finally requesting the students with folded hands to vote for them or for their candidate.
All posts (except Head boy, Head girl & Sports Captain Boys, Sports Captain Girls) were required to give a speech to the house assembly of why he/she should be selected for that post, and what is his/ her vision for that house. This stage was also accomplished as the student candidates were all geared up and ready with their speeches in English. As each one of the candidate were aware of the position of their houses in sporting activities and other scholastic activities, the speeches were based on what further would they do to promote their houses so that they reap maximum number of points for their houses to be the winning House.
Besides a debate was held for the most prestigious posts that of Head boy and girl and Sports Captain Boy and Girl respectively in the line of the debate held at Conclave with the Introduction of both the Proponents and Opponents at the first stage, then the actual debate at the second stage where they actually give justification as to why they should be elected and their vision and at the third stage, what would be their mission if given an opportunity to serve the school. It was indeed a cut throat debate with each candidate promoting themselves enumerating the laurels they have won for the school either in Scholastic or Co- scholastic activities in the previous years to impress upon the audience about their skills and achievements in different activities.
On the Election Day (i.e the fifteenth day of Students election council procedure) under the guidance of the class teachers and the House Mistresses a very calm, fair and just election was held. Prior, portal message was send informing of the election and insisting of mandatory presence for election to the Student Council. All the students from class 5 to 11 were advised to vote for the Head boy and Head girl; Sports Captain boy and Sports Captain girl (one pair of candidate from each category) and the students from each house would select their House Captain and Vice Captain for their respective House alone. The election process was carried out through traditional voting method of Ballot boxes went of peacefully with 95% student voters casting their votes. For the counting of the votes, the teacher who was assigned the job and the one who was assigned the second counting of the same was carried and recorded in complete secrecy. The final list of the winning candidates for each of the posts was eventually handed over to the Principal Ms. Preeta Pillai. The Student Election Committee and the Principle based on the counting report together determined the New Student Council and kept the same confidential till the announcement of the Election Report.
The election report was announced on 30th June’16 at the assembly held in the school ground where the names of all those who were to be elected through election procedure to different posts of Student council were to be declared. The Principal of Podar World school, Sherkhi Ms. Preeta Pillai announced the results to the main posts of the Students council such as Sports Captain (Boy & Girl) House Captains (boy & girl) House Vice Captains( boy & girl) for each of the houses, Cleanliness & Cultural Prefects (boy & girl) for each of the houses and finally the most significant posts of the Student council was announced as the students sat holding their breath i.e. the posts of the Head Boy and Head Girl for the Academic year 2016-17 who will be leading the other council members, delegating duties to the In-charges of other councils and at the same time working towards effecting a harmonious and disciplined atmosphere in the school. The rest of the posts i.e. of Class monitors, counselors, House prefects, student Editors and Student safety officers were announced by the Co-ordinator of Secondary section Ms. Anita Tekale. All the elected and selected members of the Student council were applauded by the school and Principal Madam too. She congratulated the students and reminded them of their responsibilities and wished them all the success in their endeavor in creating a congenial atmosphere for imparting Scholastic and Co-scholastic activities at school. Each of the elected Council members gave their victory speech expressing their gratitude to their school mates for having considered them worthy of the post for which they have been elected and ensured the of their committed and dedicated service to the school. Thus overall it was a fair and just election carried out in the true spirit of democratic principles.
