Deformation of participation and democracy in student representative elections

School governance is a formal activity implemented annually in basic education in Colombia as a pedagogical strategy for training and democratic coexistence with the participation of children and adolescents.With the central purpose of analyzing aspects of democratic education and participation in schools, a critique is presented relating to the election of student representatives -an annual activity of democratic participation for the entire educational community -, showing how the spheres of participation and democratic formation can be deformed, reproducing practices that are not appropriate to the national political tradition and its consequences for citizen education.This is done based on a qualitative evaluation conducted in basic education institutions in the city of Bucaramanga, Colombia, through content analysis and observation processes. It also highlights the importance of family involvement in the processes of citizen training in interaction with the school system.