THE Ministry of Education is endorsing a move by prefects to strengthen student leadership in schools through the creation of the Jamaica Prefects Association.

The association was launched yesterday at the Old Hope Road-based Jamaica College in Kingston.

The Jamaica Prefects Association was born when a group of student leaders recognised the need for school administrators and the student leadership to work together more effectively in the management of schools.

The group will be a strategic partner in the ministry’s drive to implement a safety and security policy in schools. Minister of Education Andrew Holness gave a policy directive recently that school administrators should work with student leaders to create and maintain safe schools.

“The Ministry of Education understands the critical role that students play in addressing issues of discipline and behaviour management in schools and believes that students must be drivers of change in education institutions,” said a release from the ministry.

The Reverend Al Miller will be the guest speaker at the launch of the Jamaica Prefects Association.

The association has a number of objectives. They are:

. to create a network of prefects from high schools across Jamaica to provide support, disseminate information and share best practices in the promotion of good behaviour among the student population;

. to promote peer-to-peer outreach for at-risk students;

. to strengthen the effectiveness of the prefect body through the development of strong partnerships with school administrations;

. to promote effective utilisation of prefects by the school administration in the implementation of safety and security measures;

. to provide a forum for the views of prefects and to elevate the voice of prefects in relevant decision- making processes through partnership with the Ministry of Education;

. to develop the leadership capacity of prefects; and

. to promote a greater awareness of the role of prefects in the effective management of schools and to encourage the appointment of a prefect body in schools where such a body does not exist.

Helping schools to develop and disseminate the roles and responsibilities of the prefect body also forms a part of the objectives.