School Mayors of Iran

Learning Social Participation in an Unfavorable Environment

Abstract

This paper discusses the School Mayors project in Iran, which has over the last decade aimed to provide a formal context within which young people could learn to participate in collective undertakings with a view to encouraging civic responsibility and a greater understanding of democratic processes. The project, which covers over 1000 schools, takes place in a social context where participation, even for adults, faces many obstacles. The school mayors, deputy mayors and city-school councils, democratically elected by students, have implemented with the support of student working groups, activities ranging from school improvements and support for weaker students to involvement in their communities. Their formal “jurisdiction” covers not only the schools they represent, but also the radius of 500 meters around their school, making these student bodies part of the formal governance structure of the city.