Student participation: between the twilight of the liberal model of democracy and the rise of neoliberal policies

Abstract

Student participation has become a relevant topic in the international debate on education. However, the conceptions of the meaning of participation and its practical implications are very heterogeneous. In this article, we review how educational policies have conceived student participation in Western countries. First, we present our conceptualization of student participation. Later, we explain the role of the liberal model of democracy in shaping school democracy and student participation. Then, we discuss that this model is suffering a crisis due to two main factors. On the one hand, the organisation of democratic processes in schools had limitations, which have been identified by many authors, institutions, and empirical studies. On the other hand, the pressure of the neoliberal agenda on standardisation and the emphasis on individual success are leaving aside the interest of democratic aims. We illustrate the evolution of education policies concerning student participation with the case analysis of the Spanish state educational legislation. To conclude, we present some reflections about the future of student participation.