Join the Pupils' Committee

Timeline

Application Process

How do I get elected into the PC?

Joining the Pupils’ Committee happens in two phases: the general elections and the internal elections. At the general election, the Class Representatives vote on whether they want you in the Pupils’ Committee (without a specific position in mind, except Leisure, IT, and Environmental positions).

This means all pupils, except for students applying for Leisure Committee, IT, and Environmental Member, will appear as running for "PC Member" on the voting ballot used by the Class Representatives on the day of the general election. Nevertheless, we welcome candidates stating their preferred position in their speech during the general election.

It is at the Internal Elections, where the newly elected members will vote on the specific positions and all positions will be distributed (for example Treasurer). Only candidates for the Leisure Subcommittee, IT, and the Environmental Member are elected directly to the PC, bypassing the internal elections. However, it is at the internal elections where the Head of Leisure is elected. Applying for Presidency is its own procedure prior to the Internal Elections (see below).

How do I apply?

First, you must apply on this website. As part of the application forms, you will be asked to choose which position you want to run for. If you want to run for Leisure Subcommittee, IT (please find below the new election procedure), or Environmental Member, the choice is final at this stage, otherwise you can still reconsider later on.

What is the IT election procedure?

If you have applied for the IT position, you will receive an email following the application forms in which you will find a date for an interview with the electoral board (4 members of the previous school year's PC), whereupon you will have to present a website that you have created

What happens during the general election?

At the general election, you will need to give a speech to all the Class Representatives, explaining who you are, why you want to join the Pupils’ Committee, and why you would be good for your desired position. There is a time limit of two minutes for all candidates, which we ask you to keep in mind when preparing your speech.

All the Class Representatives will vote on whether they want to see you in the Pupils’ Committee. They will have three options, “Yes”, “Maybe”, or “No”.

What happens after the election?

After the election, all votes will be counted, and an email will be sent to all candidates in due course informing whether or not they were elected.

New elected members have to attend both the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates’ Approval (explained in the next section) and the internal elections.

At the internal election, we will go through each position one at a time. The candidates for that position will be asked to give a speech explaining why they would be suitable for it. There is no time limit on these speeches. Then, all the candidates will be asked to leave the room and the rest of the Committee will vote on the position.

If you know you can’t make it to the internal election, please let us know as soon as you find out and we’ll try to reschedule it. If we can’t find a date that suits everyone or you are unexpectedly absent, you can give your speech to someone else to read out (unless you’re running for President or Vice-President), however if you don’t get the position you were hoping for you will have no other choice but to take what’s left for you.

How are the President and Vice-Presidents elected and how are the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates chosen?

The Presidency consists of three people: the President and two Vice-Presidents. As soon as all votes have been counted, all newly elected PC members will be invited to the “Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates’ Approval”, where every member of the newly elected PC has the right to present themselves for the position of President and Vice-President. After all candidates have held a speech to the rest of the PC, the members vote on each candidate on whether they approve them as a potential President or Vice-President of the committee.

All candidates receiving more than 50% of approval among the Pupils’ Committee members are now official candidates in the Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections in front of all the pupils.

The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections are held following each other on the same day, however in their own categories. First, all presidential candidates will hold a speech in front of all the school's pupils, explaining why they are suitable to become the next President of the Pupils’ Committee. Then the pupils proceed to vote for one of the candidates, with the candidate receiving the highest number of votes elected as President. After the presidential candidates have given their speeches and the voting ballots have been submitted, the vice-presidential candidates will then give their speeches, and the election will follow the same procedure as for the Presidential Election. In the Vice-Presidential Elections, the pupils are asked to vote for two candidates, as there are two roles to be filled (Vice-President and Associate Vice-President).

At the next meeting of the newly elected Pupils' Committee, the internal elections, where all remaining positions are distributed, will be held, chaired by the newly elected President.

Positions in the PC

Changes since last year

• Students wishing to apply for the IT position will no longer have to give a speech but will instead have to take part in an interview with the electoral board, by submitting a website of their own creation

President

The President is the executive of the Pupils' Committee. They represent not only the views of the Pupils' Committee, but of the student populace as a whole. They must ensure that all Pupils' Committee members are treated fairly and with respect. Although they are individually superior to every member, they are subordinate to the Committee as a whole.

Becoming President is not easy, but neither is being President. Candidates must be serious and know that they can take on the responsibility. Prior experience in the Pupils' Committee is essential.

You must be at least 15 years old (on the day of the Presidential Elections) to apply for the Presidency.

Vice-Presidents (2 people)

The Vice-Presidents assists the President in their duties, and replace them in case of absence.

To ensure continuity, if both the President and the highest-voted Vice-President are from S7, the other Vice-President must be from S6 or below.

You must be at least 15 years old (on the day of the Vice-Presidential elections) to apply for the Presidency.

Treasurers (2 people)

The Treasurers are in charge of the PC's finances. They are tasked with ensuring that the PC's financial situation does not deteriorate. All financial transactions have to be approved by the President, on the advice of the Treasurers.

You must be at least 15 years old (on the day of the Presidential elections) to apply for the Presidency.

CoSup Representatives (2 people)

CoSup stands for "Conseil Supérieur des Elèves". It is the federal students' union of the European Schools, representing the students of all the schools on the highest level, on the Joint Teaching Committee and Board of Governors meetings. Each school has two CoSup representatives.

To ensure continuity, both CoSup representatives should not be in the same school year, although this can be overriden by a simple majority vote, called for by any member

You must be at least 15 years old (on the day of the first CoSup meeting - probably the first weekend of October) to apply for CoSup

Secretary General

The Secretary General's role is to manage all of the PC's documents and emails. They take minutes at the PC's meetings, answer emails, and manage the PC's archives, as well as the flow of documents. They also post our meeting notes on our website.

You must be at least 15 years old (on the day of the Presidential elections) to apply for the Presidency.

Conseil Representatives (4 people)

The Conseil Representatives attend the meetings of the Secondary Education Council, School Advisory Council, Canteen Committee, Library Committee and other committees where the Pupils' Committee is represented. Their role is to represent and argue the viewpoints of the students. They decide amongst themselves how to divide the workload.

Public Relations (3 people, including Head of PR)

The PR member's job is to manage communications with the students and the outside world. They run the day-to-day activities of the social media accounts of the PC, communicate with students through email and all other media, and also design the posters and other promotional material for the Pupils’ Committee’s various activities. The Head of PR coordinates the work and oversees the progress of their team in collaboration with the PC's presidency.

IT Member

The IT member manages the PC's website, servers, and anything that needs to be done online.

Environment Member

The Environment member promotes environmentally responsible practices within the school (and the PC), working with the different stakeholders at the school to achieve this goal.

Leisure Subcommittee (5 people, including Head of Leisure)

The Leisure Subcommittee organises all the parties and other social events for the students. They must remain in close contact with the rest of the PC as well as the Mamer PC. The Head of Leisure coordinates the work and oversees the progress of their team in collaboration with the PC's presidency.

Apply

Unfortunately, applications for this year's Pupils' Committee elections have closed. You can apply again next year. If you have any questions, you can always send us an email at [email protected].