Five students from Western Manitoba will serve on the 2022-2023 Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Student Advisory Council.

Those named to the council are:

Allison Beaumont Grade 10 student at Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute in Beautiful Plains School Division

Michael Akinbode Grade 10 student at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School in Brandon School Division

Mya Dueck Grade 11 student at Boissevain School in Turtle Mountain School Division

Siya Patel Grade 10 student at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary in Brandon School Division and Suroor Ajani Grade 12 student at Erickson Collegiate Institute in Rolling River School Division

“I would like to congratulate the new and returning members on their appointments to the 2022-23 Student Advisory Council, thank them for their commitment to education in Manitoba and offer my appreciation for their willingness to serve on the council,” said Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko in a news release. “I look forward to hearing directly from the members of this year’s council on what is needed to improve student outcomes and well-being in Manitoba schools.”

The Student Advisory Council reports directly to the minister of education and early childhood learning, and provides insights and advice on current and emerging issues and topics affecting kindergarten to Grade 12 students.

Over their 2021-22 term, council members met eight times to discuss and provide input on various topics, which helped to inform several of Manitoba’s K to 12 Education Action Plan priority items. Topics included mental health and well-being, curriculum and assessment, the action plan itself, poverty and education, student presence and attendance, and a suspension and exclusionary practice policy.

This year’s council will be made up of 30 Manitoba youth aged 14 to 18 from across the province. Council members for 2022-23 will serve a 12-month term starting in September 2022 and ending in August 2023. The final meeting for 2021-22 members will take place in late August 2022, and the first meeting of the 2022-23 council is scheduled for September 2022.

The creation and implementation of the Student Advisory Council is one of the priority actions in Manitoba’s K to 12 Education Action Plan, which responds to recommendations from Manitoba’s Report of the Commission on K to 12 Education.