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Aquariums instead of toilets: Student parliament at the Pestalozzi School surprised!
The Pestalozzi Elementary School in Eisenberg transforms school toilets into aquariums. Student parliament promotes participation and democracy.
Aquariums instead of toilets: Student parliament at the Pestalozzi School surprised!
A fresh wind is blowing through the Pestalozzi elementary school in Eisenberg. What not so long ago was simply a school toilet has now been transformed into a creative oasis. The student parliament of this primary school, which has only existed since 2023, worked with two committed students, Elias and Romy, to transform the toilet rooms into aquariums. These newly designed rooms were presented to RHEINPFALZ and offer the children a completely new toilet experience that invites them to linger. The RHEINPFALZ reports that the transformation was driven by the student parliament, which from the outset aimed to give children a say.
However, democracy goes beyond toilet design. The Pestalozzi Primary School is committed to making it clear to children about their rights and educating them to become democratic, independent people. The student parliament plays a central role here. Children are actively involved in decisions that affect them and their classmates. As a result, the students' social skills and sense of responsibility are promoted. Because how the Pestalozzi website As explained, learning through listening is not only encouraged, but active participation is also required.
Voting rights for children
The student parliament itself is made up of class representatives from grades 2 to 4 and meets every three weeks. Current school concerns are on the agenda. Immediately after the meetings, the minutes are distributed to the class representatives and discussed in the class council. The aim of the school is to teach children to treat each other with respect and to be tolerant of other opinions. Decisions are made democratically and students can even forward requests to the college.
But co-determination also has its challenges. Like a study by Friedrich Naumann Foundation shows that there is a need for improvement in many schools when it comes to communication. While the students express high levels of satisfaction with their participation opportunities, there is unused potential in participation. In particular, low-threshold forms of participation could increase commitment.
Social media is playing an increasingly important role. The study shows that many students no longer attach as much importance to traditional communication channels such as teachers or bulletin boards. They want more direct communication that is also fun and stimulates social interactions. This could be a valuable stimulus for schools to increase student participation and make their voices heard even more.