**2.3 Student leadership**

Student leadership in schools is a distinct area in research and practice, as education is, first and foremost, a moral enterprise [25–29]. However, emerging trends in the last 15 years show a renewed focus on developing critical leadership outcomes in students, with momentum built in recent years primarily due to increased accountability for learning [30]. These studies reveal that Student Leaders are a part of School Leaders and have a significant role in the classroom and their respective organisations [31]. Compared to earlier leadership theory and philosophy, the developing tendencies observed include a paradigm shift toward reciprocal and relational models [32, 33], the business sector's increasing emphasis on teams and collaborative methods [34]; the professionalisation of the educator's role in student leadership [35]. Other trends include the creation of new student leadership paradigms [35, 36]; the civic engagement, service learning and volunteerism movement [37]; among social identity groupings, the empowerment of leadership needs [38]; and the creation of new tools, conferences, and resources for leadership educators, including the "International Leadership Association (ILA)" and the "Association of Leadership Educators (ALE)" additionally to the "National Leadership Symposium". These new developments point to a societal and institutional imperative for educational institutions, including secondary schools, colleges, and universities, to cultivate responsible student leaders [30].
