NSSC installs executive members for 2018-2019

THE 21-MEMBER national and regional executive of the National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC) was officially inaugurated on Tuesday, November 20, at The University of the West Indies in St Andrew. The event was attended by students from 40 schools islandwide.

Specially invited guests included the state minister for education, youth and information (MOEYI), Floyd Green, who was the guest speaker; Captain Dr Kasan Troupe, director of regional educational services in the MOEYI; Hyacinth Blair; senior director in the Children’s Affairs Division of MOEYI; and Antonette Dennis, former president of the NSSC.

Other guests included representatives of the Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students (JUTS), the Jamaica Prefects’ Association (JPA), the Commonwealth Youth Council, HEART Trust/NTA and other civil society groups.

Dennis first addressed the assembly with her warm greetings and provided a comprehensive review of the NSSC’s activities in the previous year. These included the organisation of capacity-building workshops, a student conference and the climax of the NSSC calendar, the implementation of Students’ Council Week in February. She reminded the executive to be “cognisant of the decades of legacy that precede you and build, nurture and grow together”.

ENORMOUS BENEFITS

Blair reminded the audience of the purpose of the NSSC as a “space for students to voice their opinions” and further recognised the enormous benefits that are gained from this youth advocacy group. She said that during 20132015, over 4,500 students have been trained in advocacy. Additionally, other milestones mentioned included the development of the organisation’s