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In the yeshivot and seminaries in the USA and the American style yeshivot in Israel, to what extent is it encouraged that the boys or girls create a representative committee whose job is to make suggestions or present gripes to management?
For example, in my girl’s (Israeli) talmud torah primary school, in addition to the school parents’ committee, older pupils are expected to elect such a committee to be approachable by parents and pupils alike if there are problems to be solved (too much home work, school bags too heavy, etc.), or to make suggestions concerning the curriculum.
Not only is such a committee needed, it also gives young girls a start in public involvement.
From my experience a few decades ago, a representation of the bachurim was chosen to help solve some issues at a new Israeli yeshiva, and this coordinated a list of things needed and helped us obtain a washing machine (especially necessary as we were not in a big city with a laundromat), enough cupboard space in the dorm (there were three cupboards for four bachurim as an extra bed was in each room), and other issues.
I can’t answer your question but would like to point out that in public schools and in many private and co-ed Hebrew Day schools this is common – at the junior and senior high school level. It is called the Student Council. There are representatives from each grade plus an overall president, vice president, secretary and treasurer and they are all elected by the students through full fledged election campaigns. It is a wonderful way for students to begin learning about public service and politics. In fact, two of the fellows who were student council presidents when I was in high school went on to major political careers – one of them became the Mayor of Vancouver, B.C. and the other became the Premier of the province – which is like the governor.
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