Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter
IT'S SUMMER and schools are out. But for more than 80 secondary level students, the next week will mean some serious brain-rocking.
The students, all members of the National Secondary School Students' Council, represent the 'creme de la creme' in Jamaica's national secondary level student government, according to Kevan Campbell, youth empowerment officer in the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD), Drawn from various sections of the island, the students, members of the National Secondary Students' Council are currently engaged in a capacity-building workshop at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
The aims of the workshop are to improve the leadership abilities of the youths and build advocacy and conflict resolution skills.
Already they have received a lesson in advocacy, administered by the former Public Defender, Howard Hamilton, Q.C.
AGENTS OF POSITIVE CHANGE
Branding them as agents of positive change, Mr. Hamilton told the students that the direction the country takes will be incumbent on the part they play.
Said he: "You are a mighty race. You are the voice of the voiceless, you must let your voices be heard."
The lesson taught by Mr. Hamilton was exactly the same thing Ohene Blake, director of NCYD, and his team envisioned when they devised the plan for this year's workshop.
"I want to see students speak out on national issues affecting them such as the budget," Blake said.
He continued that "through this workshop, we believe that we can help to prevent some of the violence in schools, teenage pregnancy and heightened awareness about HIV/AIDS".
Meanwhile, Mr. Campbell said the student councillors will be working on two critical student documents at the workshop; the students' council's constitution and the student councillor's handbook.
The student council body is mandated by law to act on student's behalf in secondary schools. The president of each school's student council body sits on the school's board.
