Killara Schools Partnership

Student Voice Video Conference

Late last month SJC members participated in a video conference with primary school leaders from Killara, Lindfield, Lindfield East and Roseville Public Schools. Our discussions were aimed at answering one question, what is a leader? and ultimately, what is a good leader?  

The younger students all came ready with excellent responses to this question, as did we. It was brilliant to take part in a discussion that is affecting the world over, especially in these politically interesting times. The conversation started with what qualities a leader should have. Resilience, intelligence and empathy were the top three among many more. Then it turned to what is a leader in a community. A leader is someone who takes charge and voices their people in a wider world. Humility was also added to the list of attributes of a leader. We then looked at how a leader acts in a community. With kindness and dignity, it was reasoned, was the way a leader should act. Then, the discourse took another turn and we talked about what a leader truly was. The person who leads or commands a group, organisation, or country was how the dictionary defined the term. But a good leader, on the other hand, was quite a different thing. We did our best, but the term is still as elusive and slippery as defining good itself. We all took our time contributing our ideas and opinions and I believe that everyone had a solid foundation in what a leader is, how they should act and how to become a leader. 

Overall it was an eye-opening experience for both older and younger students. Fair to say, the future looks bright knowing we have excellent leaders who will guide us through whatever challenges we may face. 

Finlay Mitchell and Ari Dixon-Smithers

Year 8 SJC