By Devonne Cornelius
Basseterre, St. Kitts, Feb 15, 2024 (ZIZ Newsroom): Student council representatives from across St. Kitts and Nevis will convene in a national student congress slated for February 28 and 29, 2024, Minister of Youth Empowerment Hon. Isalean Phillip announced during the prime minister’s press conference on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
“We will be bringing together representatives from all of the student school councils at both primary and high school level to be able to come together to discuss problems and solutions as it relates to violence in the schools and crime in the federation,” Minister Phillip said.
Minister Phillip says the hosting of the national student congress is part of St. Kitts and Nevis’ crime prevention strategy.
“This initiative in terms of hosting this activity in bringing student councils together is part of the crime prevention strategy that the National Task Force on Violence as a public health issue is focusing on.
The congress is hosted in partnership with the Ministry of Education as well as in collaboration with representation from the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Department of Probation and Child Protection Services, and the National Task Force on Violence as a public health issue.”
Day one of the national student congress will cater to primary school students on St. Kitts and day two will cater to students at the secondary school level as well as the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College and the Nevis Sixth Form College.
Minister Phillip said, “The intention with this congress is to be able to engage our young people and get them thinking about conflict, what are the problems, how we see violence manifesting in our schools and for them as youth leaders to begin to think about what they can do and what changes can be made as to how we can all be part of the solution to be able to combat violence in all its forms…”
Sessions at the National Student Congress will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and are expected to see more than 150 students in attendance.
END