YOUTH and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna says she is pleased with the progress the National Secondary Students Council (NSSC) has made over the past two years in increasing the level of participation in students’ governance.

The minister was speaking at Sunday’s service at the Emmanuel Apostolic Church, which marked the beginning of NSSC Week.

“When I became minister in 2012, I wanted to ensure that student governance was a priority for our students. We have since revamped the Students Council movement, which was dormant for two years, and since then the level of participation has increased significantly. The NSSC is active in 165 schools across the island, impacting over 300,000 students,” she said.

Hanna said there has been a constant thrust to revive the NSSC in schools as it acts as a feasible medium for student advocacy and participation. This, she said, has been done through capacity building, worship, and training sessions conducted by the Ministry of Youth and Culture’s youth empowerment officers and executive members of the council.

“In the 2013/2014 academic year, we had 83 schools participating in the NSSC’s elections, while 2014/2015 had an increase of close to 150 schools. The number of students nominated to serve on the council’s National Executive has increased by 45 per cent and we have increased voter turnout of students participating in the elections from 30 per cent to 60 per cent,” Hanna said.

The minister, meanwhile, said this achievement by the ministry speaks to the commitment and dedication of the Youth Division in implementing the renewed policies through the provision of increased budgetary resources.

Newly elected President of the NSSC, Charles Young, in acknowledging the growth of the organisation over the years, implored his colleagues to build on the current momentum as they strive to promote the active participation of students in matters affecting their interests, by making representations on their behalf.

“As we bask in remembrance, and reflect on the past 40 years, the value of the Students Council movement cannot be ignored. There were several issues that were solved and problems prevented from escalating as a direct result of this student government framework. While applauding past efforts and accomplishments, keen attention must be placed on areas in the secondary education system and population that require immediate solutions.” said Young.