ESSA is designed to redress this deficiency and is working to become the representative body for secondary students in England. It will demonstrate to students that their views on education are important and that, as stated in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, they have the “right to express views freely in all matters affecting” them. Its development has been widely welcomed by the education sector.

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary, said “The TUC is happy to give its support to ESSA. There are a host of issues in education on which the views of young people need to be heard. With record numbers of school children now working part-time unions need a representative body like ESSA to work with to ensure that young people are protected properly in the workplace.”

ESSA's inaugural conference, taking place at the TUC on 4 February 2005, will be gathering the views of secondary students on a range of issues, including random drugs testing, 14-19 education, school uniform, provision of local education authority information and other subjects via an interactive electronic voting system that will provide an instant picture of students’ views.

Kat Fletcher, President of the NUS and keynote speaker at the ESSA conference said “"NUS supports ESSA in becoming a much needed campaigning organisation for secondary school students and looks forward to working with them in the future.

Education issues remain at the top of the political agenda and it is important that pupils are able to have their say on the issues that affect them. Secondary students need to make their voice heard more than ever in an age of educational reforms, which look set to radically change the face of 11-19 education in the coming years.
That school children will be able to actively participate in democratic structures and make a difference for themselves and their peers bodes well for an active society of the future, which takes their rights to vote and democratic freedom very seriously. Children should be seen and heard and we hope that ESSA will foster our decision makers of the future."

ESSA has also been warmly welcomed by teaching unions, including the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, Secondary Heads Association and the NUT. Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the NUT said “The NUT warmly welcomes the establishment of a new School Students’ Union for 11-19 year olds. The new English Secondary Students’ Association (ESSA), to be launched on 4 February 2005, will aim to ensure that the student voice is heard on all debates on education.

For too long, England and Wales have been without a School Students’ Union. In Europe, the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU) has long been the organising body that represents the views of secondary students. The NUT supports wholeheartedly, therefore, ESSA’s intention to ensure that children and young people are listened to.”

Tim Andrew, President of the Secondary Heads Association said “The Secondary Heads Association (SHA) is pleased to support the formation of a national secondary students’ association.

SHA has long believed that the views and voice of students are very important and should be considered seriously in the improvement and running of effective schools. Indeed, in recent years we have produced a publication for our members to help support their thinking in this area.

We hope, therefore, that ESSA will develop quickly into a vehicle that helps ensure that the constructive ideas of young people are heard.”

Rajeeb Dey, the Founder of ESSA commented on the wide ranging support and said “I am delighted by the response ESSA has received. ESSA hopes to work closely with the other education unions in order to ensure that the views of students are considered alongside other stakeholders so that we can ensure that the learner is placed at the heart of education.”