Student voice is always important: it mean that we have input in decisions, that we're consulted on our views towards policy change. However, the coronavirus pandemic means that major, sometimes drastic, decisions are being taken rapidly, with no time for consultation from students. So, how can we ensure that the student voice can continue to be heard? And what is the role of student voice in these times?

The question of shutting down and moving learning online was not one up for debate – and I'm sure it was a decision every school and college leader wished they did not have to take. As we look to return, there's also not much that is up to students – most of the "what" and "how" of what happens next is set out by government guidance and information from Public Health England. So, what can students give input on?

Student voice: College student exhibition documents lockdown life

Revealed: How much online learning FE is delivering

Background: How different is teaching online from the classroom?

Changing concerns

Six months ago, the pressing issues that I had to take to our faculty student voice meeting were the cost of food in the canteen, and that the vending machines were out of order. Now, classmates are asking that I pass on their views on remote learning, the amount of work they are being set, and the mental health and wellbeing guidance that is put out. I believe that the nature of what's going on means that this cohort – my cohort – has a fantastic opportunity: we can help shape the future of learning, and what the "new normal" is going to look like.

We're feeding back in different ways, too. There's a greater emphasis on input at a class and course level than college wide. I think that's a good thing because what works for me and my friends in media may not work for those in hair and beauty. That's not to say that there isn't a place for a college-wide student voice, though. I attended a virtual forum a couple of weeks ago, where we fed back about how our individual faculties had been doing, and the representative from the senior leadership team gave an update on what may be happening once we can go back on to campus.

I also think there's a second, equally important, side to student voice that has developed during the pandemic: an effective body of student voice and input can help teachers to better understand what their students are feeling at the moment. Whille it's true that we're "all in this together", young people are experiencing thoughts and feelings that teachers may not be fully aware of and be able to understand – in the same way, most of us students can't relate to how it is to parent a young child during this time. Having this insight into how young people and students are coping with lockdown, and how they are feeling about the coronavirus can, I feel, be really helpful in shaping and informing the decisions that colleges make, and how they make them, during this time.

We as students understand the restrictive nature of the coronavirus and what surrounds it. As Matt Hancock pointed out on Monday, the legal basis for the crisis was totally different to that of normal times: our freedom was restricted; we had to have a valid reason to leave the house, rather than making the independent choice to do so. So, we understand that, as we cautiously exit the lockdown, there's not much scope for making luxurious, individual decisions – we have to work as a team for this to work. So, as we do pave the way towards the "new normal", let's strengthen our teamwork, working in partnership as staff and students, to make it the best it possibly can be in the worst possible circumstances.

Alfie Payne is a creative media student at a college in Hampshire