THE National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC) through collaboration with the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD) will once again coordinate the national commemoration of International Students Day, hosted annually on November 17th.

For 2011, the activities will place a focus on promoting student activism, youth empowerment and participation and networking, while seeking to sensitise all secondary school students as to the history and significance of November 17. The history of International Students Day lies in youth advocacy and young people presenting their views on matters pertinent to national development.

ISD 2011 seeks to encourage Jamaican students to take a more active interest in matters of civic interest, and actively work towards the development of proposals for addressing issues of national concern.

To this end, the students’ council in each secondary school is encouraged to host activities on International Students Day, which promotes youth advocacy and the participation of young people in matters of civic and national interest.

Recommended activities include workshops and seminars, presentations at General Assembly, and mounting of informational displays on advocacy.

The NSSC is also partnering with the Aabuthnott Gallimore High School in St Ann, in hosting a student rally at the School dubbed ‘Activism in Action’.

For the past two weeks, the NSSC and NCYD have been hosting advocacy workshops with the Students Council at the school, aimed at developing a student-led advocacy campaign. This campaign will be highly evidence-based and will highlight one issue of concern to the student population and corresponding proposals for addressing this. These proposals will be presented at the rally on International Students Day.

All schools and students’ councils are encouraged to contact the National Secondary Students’ Council by e-mail at nsscjamaica@gmail.com for additional information or assistance in executing their activities. Additionally, students are encouraged to join the NSSC Facebook page for updates on ISD and other activities and initiatives.

November 17 was declared as International Students Day in 1941 by the International Union of Students, after 1,200 students in Czechoslovakia were sent to concentration camps and nine executed without trial, after protests for a free and democratic society. Jamaica has been hosting a national commemoration of this date through the National Centre for Youth Development since 2004.