Y08W03WR Should School Behaviour Rules Cover Social Media?

Part 1

How to Write

Persuasive – Formal submission

A persuasive submission argues for a clear position on an issue and aims to influence a specific decision-maker. It is written for a formal audience — often a committee, council or leadership group — and must be credible and well-reasoned. The tone should be confident and respectful, demonstrating careful thinking about the issue.

  • Ideas & content: Take a clear position and develop it with logical, well-supported reasons. Acknowledge complexity where it exists, but always return to your core argument.
  • Structure & cohesion: Open with your position, develop your reasons in a logical order and close with a clear recommendation. Use connecting language to move from point to point smoothly.
  • Voice & audience: Write for your specific audience — formal, measured and credible. Avoid emotional exaggeration. Show you understand the issue from multiple sides, even while arguing one position.
  • Language choices: Use precise, formal vocabulary. Control modality carefully — words like should, must and strongly recommends signal conviction. Vary sentence structure for impact.
  • Conventions: Spell key terms correctly. Use punctuation to manage complex sentences. Check that your sentences are as clear as they are persuasive.

Common pitfalls: Arguing from passion alone without evidence or reasoning — a good submission shows logical thinking, not just strong feeling. Failing to acknowledge the other side even briefly, which makes your argument look one-sided.

Part 2

Your Task Plan for Today

The brief

Question: Write a submission to the school council arguing for or against extending school behaviour rules to cover students’ social media use outside school hours. Take a clear position, support it with reasoning and address at least one argument on the other side. Your submission will be read by council members before the vote.

Stimulus: Your school principal has proposed extending the school’s behaviour policy to cover students’ social media activity outside school hours, in cases where that activity affects other students or staff. The proposal has divided opinion among students, parents and teachers. The school council has opened a formal submissions process to hear from the school community before the decision is made.

Task Analysis: This task asks you to take a clear position on a school policy question and support it with reasoning. You must also acknowledge a credible argument from the other side before rebutting it. Your audience is the school council making a real decision. A strong response makes a compelling case while showing you have thought seriously about the complexity of the issue.

Quick Plan

Before you write, plan:

  • Your position — which side do you take, and why?
  • Three strongest reasons that support your position
  • One credible argument from the other side that you will address
  • Your rebuttal to that argument
  • Your closing line — what do you want the council to decide?

Thesis / position

State your position early and clearly. Readers should know exactly where you stand by the end of your opening. This is not a mystery to reveal at the end.

Evidence chain

Build your case with reasons that connect to each other. Each reason should be supported by specific evidence — examples or logical reasoning that explains why your position makes sense.

Counterargument

Acknowledge at least one credible argument from the other side. Show that you have thought seriously about opposing views. This makes your submission stronger, not weaker.

Rebuttal

Explain why, despite that counterargument, your position is still the stronger one. Do not dismiss the other side — show why your reasoning outweighs theirs.

Call to action

Close with a clear statement of what you want the council to decide. Make it specific to the decision they are facing.