School Captain is a student appointed or elected to represent the school.
This student, usually in the senior year, (Year 12, in secondary and Year 6 in primary schools) in their final year of attending that school. It is similar to "Student Body President" in the United States, it is the senior representative of a school's pupils, and the school, in the community.
School captains are mainly found in British Empire legacy school systems: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Zimbabwe for example Bernard Mizeki College in Zimbabwe still appoints school captains as representative of the students body. The School captain is chosen from the Lower Sixth formers by ballot, students vote in their respective hostels which are considered as constituencies and staff members also cast their votes. After election the Incumbent officially hands over his duties to the elected school captain on first day of October three to four weeks before public examinations start to enable the outgoing school captain to concentrate on his school work. etc. It is not, however, usually used in the United Kingdom itself.
In some schools, the staff appoints the captain while in others an extensive interview process is involved but generally the positions are filled by election. Some elections involve the student body, some the faculty staff, and some both. Often there is some pre-selection of candidates by the school executive.
To be elected as school captain is a high honor, and the student who fills the position usually has earned particular distinction among the student body as well as among the staff. They are usually a student that has achieved a higher degree of commitment, dedication, experience, and knowledge above that of the average student. In some schools the captain is the head prefect. However, the Head Girl and Head Boy and the school captain can both exist within the same school, and where hierarchy determines that the head boy/girl is ranked higher than the school.
The school captain can act as a liaison between the students at large and the faculty staff, and between the school and the community. If a student gets into trouble, it can reflect badly upon the captain.
Famous quotes containing the words school and/or captain:
“There is nothing intrinsically better about a child who happily bounces off to school the first day and a child who is wary, watchful, and takes a longer time to separate from his parents and join the group. Neither one nor the other is smarter, better adjusted, or destined for a better life.”
—Ellen Galinsky (20th century)
“See how peaceful it is here. The sea is everything. An immense reservoir of nature where I roam at will.... Think of it. On the surface there is hunger and fear. Men still exercise unjust laws. They fight, tear one another to pieces. A mere few feet beneath the waves their reign ceases, their evil drowns. Here on the ocean floor is the only independence. Here I am free.”
—Earl Felton, and Richard Fleischer. Captain Nemo (James Mason)