Manley [13] advocates that "the 'total' school must be involved in the governance process both internally and externally because this is the only way to prepare people for a political system that is based upon mass governance participation." Further he states [14] that the "politics of participation" demands involvement i.e. "the conscious attempt to make people feel that they have a part to play in the decision-making processes of government." This call has given rise to attempts to democratize secondary and high schools in Jamaica.
This 'democratization' has taken the form of efforts to make school boards less autocratic, as well as the setting up of Student Councils which function to allow students to participate in areas of decision-making in school government, a participation which they had previously been denied.
 The democratization of secondary and high schools in Jamaica is a move considered vital if young people are to develop the self-confidence, self-reliance, discipline and a spirit of social co-operation which are considered essential qualities for meaningful participation in the decision-making processes of government. This, clearly, is a crucial aspect of the government's ideology – democratic socialism - which propounds ultimately the creation of an egalitarian society based on the twin pillars of justice and equality of opportunity [14]. It is argued that for all to be able to enjoy equality of opportunity, each individualneeds to be skilled in the "politics of participation."