Education Minister Petter Saint Jean is expressing optimism that a national student council will get off the ground by July 2013.
Students from secondary schools from across the island are meeting at the Holy Redeemer Retreat House in Eggleston to develop and set a constitution for the formation of a student council and according to Saint Jean such a body is critical to the development of students in Dominica.
“The student council is critical to making sure students understand their role … that is not just being part of a student council but one that is proactive, that engages the student and school management and staff … that students can represent the needs of the general body, interact, interface with school management and staff and ensure the needs of their peers are addressed in a proactive manner,” he said.
Saint Jean pointed out that the council should be functioning by early July next year.
The National Student Council is expected to comprise student representatives from all secondary schools on the island, according to the organizers.
Sue-elyn Mayers of the Convent High School believes the national student council will address many issues schools on the island face, especially deviant behavior. “It is very significant because students face a lot of difficulties and some of the times they do not get to voice their opinions about how they feel,” she said. “I think it is important because deviant behavior is increasing and nothing is being done about it.”
This is not a new concept, as my colleague expressed. We had a National Student Council with regular meetings back in 1998. We all went on to be youth leaders and agents of change, not only in schools & in Dominica, but across the Caribbean & I dere I say the World.
On that note, I’m happy to see this initiative revived. Hope it continues & does not die out like the previous council.
Hahhaha, what a turn of events! So we’ve come full circle and now reintroducing a student council. A lesson for the youth: do not allow politician to so captivate you sense so that you abandon your role as the leaders of tomorrow.
About time… we had started this initiative in collaborative effort with the natioanl youth council since 1997, when the Min of education had promised its unwavering support then, grand ideas…and then left us high and dry…
Im glad though that some students have taken the initiative to revive the concept…this time dont let the bureaucrats try to win you over with promises (as most of you will soon be of voting age by the time next election hits) make sure the Ministry of Education makes good on its promises… A serious National Student council can be a force to be reconed with…indeed an agent of change
Wow! Amazing. That Ministry of Education can do nothing right for u people!
And it was not a student initiative fyi.