What happens when you put a roomful of teenagers together and give them a question with no easy answer?
You get opinions. You get disagreements. You get a few raised eyebrows. And, if you’re lucky, you get some genuinely thoughtful ideas.
That was the spirit of Student Voice 2026, an inter-school panel discussion hosted by KC High, Navalur, where C. Sahasra of Grade X and V. S. Daniel Joshua of Grade XII represented Arsha Vidya Mandir.
The discussions explored two questions that are very much part of the world our students are growing up in.
The first panel, “Social Accountability – What do celebrities and influencers owe us?”, looked at screen habits, targeted advertising and the increasingly blurred line between online personalities and real-life connections. The students discussed how influencers have a right to privacy, while also having a responsibility to be transparent about paid promotions and avoid presenting an unrealistic version of perfection.
The second panel, “Generation Disruption: The Role of the Youth in Today’s Democracies,” moved the conversation towards political awareness, voter participation and the ways young people can engage with social causes and democratic institutions.
C. Sahasra of Grade X was recognised as the Star Panelist for Panel 1 and received her certificate from Dr. Savita during the closing ceremony.
Perhaps that is what made Student Voice so valuable. It wasn’t about having the “right” answer. It was about having the confidence to think, listen, question and articulate.
And when our students walked away from the discussion having done exactly that, we had every reason to be proud.
Perhaps that is what makes Student Voice so meaningful. It reminds us that young people do not need to wait for the future to have a voice in it. They are already thinking, questioning, challenging and shaping the world around them.