School Captain

School Captain or School Pupil Leader is a student appointed or elected to lead the student body of a school. School captains are mainly found in British Empire legacy school systems: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, India and Zimbabwe. In coeducational schools, there is usually a girl and boy school captain.

The role is similar to "Student Body President" in the United States, with the captain being the senior representative of the students and the school in the wider community.

In the past, school captains were almost always appointed by the administration of the school, but there has been an increasing tendency for them to be chosen by the student body. In some cases, teachers reserve the right to make the final decision, because of concern that if the student vote is seen as a popularity contest, the person chosen might not represent the school successfully or appropriately.

Role and Responsibilities

The school captain can act as a liaison between the students at large and the teaching staff, and between the school and the community. The captain may also represent the school in sporting and other events against other schools. The responsibilities of a school captain are: - serving as a good role model for the other students - speaking at formal occasions and assemblies in the school - representing the school at formal events outside the school

Often, school captains wear a distinctive item of uniform or a badge, as evidence of their status.