Meet Our Officers: Philip Crowe

 Hi. My name is Philip. I'm a transition year student at the Abbey school in Tipperary town. As Secretary of the NSE (National Student Executive) it is my job to take the minutes of every meeting and to make it available to the rest of the NSE and to organise NSE meetings once one has been called for. Also, I help to organise Annual Assembly and if any other officers need support with an event they are running I assist them in organising it.  I ran for the position because I believe it is vital that student voice is heard and that students should be involved in the decision-making process on issues that will affect us more than anyone else. Also, because I'm in TY, I can devote more time to ISSU than I would be able to in other years. I started as Secretary in December but I still plan to do the best I can as Secretary in the upcoming months. Hopefully I'll see you all at Annual Assembly.

Meet Our Officers: Glen Kiely

 I am a 6th year student of St. Munchins’ College, Limerick. I am passionate about education and learning, student voice, photography and fitness. I was appointed as Education Officer in August, with the hope that I could address the problems facing second-level education in Ireland today. I ran for this position because I felt that, with the ISSU, I could be an advocate for students and our education! During my term in office, I hope to confront various issues. I will be undergoing meetings with education spokespersons and publishing my, and the ISSU’s, thoughts on relevant matters. I hope to further student’s stance in their own education. That’s it from me, Glen.

Meet Our Officers: Chloe Griffin

 Hey Everyone, My name is Chloe Griffin and I am the Campaigns and Communications Officer of the ISSU. I am a Transition Year student in Scoil Ruáin which is a small school in Tipperary. This year I decided to run for office because I felt that the ISSU has so much potential to create stronger communication links with you guys and to get all interested people involved. One of the most effective ways to do this is through social media and by carrying out successful campaigns on matters that affect students directly so we can all join together and become stronger 'Ní neart go cur le chéíle' so they say!. Aside from student voice I have many other interests, I love sport and play basketball and football, with that I also love music and have played the piano and guitar.  I am very passionate about mental health and feel there is lots of room for schools to contribute to this subject. With that, I have planned to host a mental health awareness day entitled EMPOWER in February of this year to teach student councils how to introduce coping mechanisms into schools and to retrieve feedback from you guys and hear your ideas. I hope to see you all there! Also at the beginning of my term I decided to revive the ISSU Newsletter, every month it is filled with information and behind the scenes action on all things ISSU. You can subscribe on the newsletter section under Student Councils on our website.That’s it from me. Keep your eyes peeled on our facebook, twitter, snapchat and Instagram for all the latest.

I MO THUAIRIM, Bígí Linn!

With the support of Conradh na Gaeilge, the ISSU will be running upcoming events in early February in Galway and later in Dublin to report on what Students think of Secondary Education through the Irish language in Gaelcholáistí and in Second-Level Schools in Gaeltacht Regions.The ISSU are delighted to be able to run this event through Irish as more than half of the NSE can speak Irish with proficiency! We hope that Students enjoy meeting others who choose to study through the medium of the national language, discuss common themes and issues and hopefully the ISSU will find out what's needed to improve education through Irish-language and to support these students as much as we can! Ag súil go mór leis! Bígí ann!Register here: https://form.jotform.com/70155317845962

Regional Councils

Imagine a series of events held all around the country that were entry free but filled with such valuable information. Imagine a day in your province where you could connect with students from all the counties around you and share stories and experiences. Imagine a day aimed at not only students on a schools’ student council but any student interested and passionate about student voice. Imagine a day that could open so many new opportunities for you and introduce you to endless possibilities. That day is your local Regional Council. That day is about ISSU.The ISSU’s annual Regional Councils are a series of events that are incredibly inspiring. Often in school it can be hard to express your thoughts about school life but more importantly it can be difficult to find people that actually care and want to make a change. Regional Councils are a gathering of second-level students in each region around Ireland that are interested in Student Voice and who want to be part of making changes. Attending your local Regional Council can be incredibly refreshing and can really show you how much students can get involved in the world around you and open up lots of possibilities for your future.Prior to the event students can nominate themselves to the National Council of Schools which is an operational structure of the ISSU and is composed of 8 of the most reliable, hardworking and passionate students from around Ireland, 2 from each region. The National Council of Schools (NCS) work alongside the National Student Executive (who take care of the daily running of the ISSU) by raising issues from each region and by meeting during the year.The events are held in Munster (Cork), Leinster (Dublin), Dublin, West (Galway) and Donegal so that students around the green isle can connect locally. This is especially important because local issues can be discussed, for instance issues affecting students in Galway may be very different to those in inner city Dublin and so by Galway school students discussing issues on a separate day it is much much more effective.In essence, your local Regional Council is an amazing, educational and inspirational day while also being so much fun and a chance for you to meet some of the best people. It’s a day that young people around Ireland who are interested in student voice should attend, it's sure to be an unforgettable and unmissable experience!If this sounds like your cup of tea you can register here to join in on your local regional council and make a difference in your province! http://Click Here To Register! https://form.jotform.com/63133597556969

ISSU Annual Assembly 2017

Represent your student council at the Irish Second-Level Students' Union Annual Assembly 2017!

The largest statutory meeting in the ISSU calendar will include national elections to our Student Executive Board, union policy, constitutional amendments, and annual reports.There'll also be a forum for debate and discussion around student councils in and student rights in Ireland, as well as student representation and political influence.

Register here: https://form.jotform.com/70442876018963