Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 13, 2024 (SKNIS): Representatives of Student Councils in primary and secondary schools in St. Kitts and Nevis will convene for two days at the end of the month to discuss violence within the school environment, and crime within the Federation.
Plans to host this discussion at the inaugural National Student Congress are being advanced by the Department of Youth Empowerment in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. It will take place on February 28 and 29, 2024. Day one (1) will cater for primary school leaders in St. Kitts, while the second day will host secondary school representatives from St. Kitts and from Nevis.
At the Prime Minister’s Press Conference with Cabinet Ministers at the NEMA Conference Room on Tuesday (February 13, 2024), Minister of Youth Empowerment, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, noted that the meeting between the students and government officials is part of the crime prevention strategy of the National TaskfForce on Violence as a Public Health Issue.
“The intention of this congress is to be able to engage our young people and get them thinking about conflicts, problems, and how we see violence manifesting in our schools, and for them, as youth leaders, to begin to think about what they can do, what changes can be made and of course, make suggestions to those in the room as to how we can all be a part of the solution to be able to combat violence in all its forms which then leads to a lot of the crime that we see,” Minister Phillip explained while addressing the media.
Officials from various government ministries and departments are expected to participate during this interactive engagement. These include the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, and the Department of Probation and Child Protection Services. Members of the National Taskforce on Violence as a Public Health Issue will also participate.
