OVERVIEW
Founded in 2008, the ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU is led by students, for students.
The main aims of the ISSU are as follows:
To provide a transparent, democratic and reliable organisation.
To provide a collective voice for second-level students and represent second-level students as stakeholders in their education and in society, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally to continually develop a transparent, fair and modern education system.
To promote equal access to education and to strive for the end of all discrimination and injustice within the Irish education system.
To empower student councils to be democratic and effective representative bodies within their school communities.
To work to end the disparity in student services based on socio-economic backgrounds.
To fight for a fair education system that values each individual and allows them to reach their full potential.
To actively support and empower individual students and student councils to take action.
To actively address the challenges and worries faced by students on a local, regional, national and international level.
The ISSU is the national representative body for school students in the Republic of Ireland. Membership is based on the student council model, and the ISSU aims to provide support, training and assistance to member student councils.
Through this support, the ISSU aims to foster a stronger student voice at all levels of the education system. Schools students should be involved in all matters that directly affect them, and this means having a seat at the decision-making table and being respected as an equal stakeholder.
The ISSU is run for students, by students.
The ISSU Charter for Student Voice notes two distinct statement for the organisation.
VISION STATEMENT
“The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union shall work towards an education system in which the views, opinions and contributions of students are respected and in which students are recognised as an official partner in creating an education that is centred around and caters best for students.”
MISSION STATEMENT
“The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union will be an agent and a catalyst for change in the Irish education system, seeking to advance education by involving young people actively in all aspects of their education, thus empowering and supporting young people to realise their voice and take action.”
Furthermore, Article 2 of the ISSU Constitution notes;
The ISSU shall work:
The ISSU is the national umbrella body for second-level student councils in the Republic of Ireland. The ISSU represents Irish second-level students on a local, regional, national and international level.
The main object for which the ISSU is established is to contribute to the advancement of second-level education of all second-level students in order to improve and enrich the education of each student and to support the involvement of students at all stages of their education so that they achieve their full potential, and as responsible citizens, improve society.
The mission statement of the ISSU is as follows; “The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union will be an agent and a catalyst for change in the Irish education system, seeking to advance education by involving young people actively in all aspects of their education, thus empowering and supporting young people to realise their voice and take action.”
All elected officers, structures, staff and volunteers will actively collaborate to further the ISSUs mission.
The vision statement of the ISSU is as follows “The Irish Second Level Students’ Union shall work towards an education system in which the views, opinions and contributions of students are respected and in which students are recognised as an official partner in creating an education that is centred around and caters best for students.”
The slogan of the ISSU is as follows; ‘Representing, Uplifting and Defending Student Voice.’
The ISSU is a democratic, not for profit and non-governmental youth organisation, independent from any political groups.
The ISSU’s Core Respects
Respecting Our Values
The ISSU is a fair and transparent organisation. It opposes discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, sexual orientation, race, physical ability, intellectual ability, religion, nationality, marital status, family status, disability, class, colour, faith, membership of the travelling community or other ethnicity, disability, class, colour or faith.
The ISSU is an organisation based on the values of human rights, equality, accessibility, diversity and participation. We do not tolerate discrimination, bullying in any form, harming others and ignoring such claims.
The ISSU strives to provide a respectful, safe and inclusive environment for all members, officers, staff and volunteers involved in the organisation.
The ISSU is committed to safeguarding children and young people with whom we work and promoting good child protection practices within our organisation.
Respecting Our Members
The ISSU is a democratically governed organisation that shall represent and campaign for the rights of all second-level students without bias, fear or favour, and shall be respectful of the differing views within its membership, but accountable to all members for the performance of its duties.
Respecting Student Voice
Upholding the value of Student Voice and growing the reputation and professional nature of the ISSU is of paramount importance to this organisation, and it is up to all members of the student officers to make sure that we continually earn that trust among other stakeholders in the education sector.
All of our communications and other interactions with stakeholders internally and externally should work towards increasing trust in the student's voice. All individuals working with and for the ISSU are stewards of second-level student voice and are responsible for their actions, and should be respectful in their words and actions, both online and offline.