ST JAMES, Jamaica – The Ministry of Education and Youth is focused on creating a better and brighter future for the country’s youth, says portfolio Minister Fayval Williams.

“We all know that the world is changing, and that means that our education system must also evolve to better prepare you, our youth, for this world,” she noted.

“We also know that there is no single way or single formula preparing you, our young people, for this new and more complex future. We can, however, seek further improvements in our system by maximising opportunities for all our people to ensure that their education remains an uplifting force in this society,” she added.

Williams’ remarks came in a speech delivered by State Minister Marsha Smith, at the official church service to kick-start National Youth Month at the Torrington Wesleyan Holiness Church in Petersfield, Westmoreland, on Sunday.

Youth Month is being observed under the theme ‘The Year of Youth, Trending for a Sustainable Future’ with a series of activities to highlight and celebrate young people who are excelling in their chosen fields.

Williams commended the Youth and Adolescence Policy Division for coordinating the activities for the month and for helping to keep the society focused on the issues that affect young people and their perspectives on finding solutions.

She encouraged youth workers, leaders and facilitators, to stick to the task of engagement and advocacy and not to become frustrated in the face of youth apathy.

“Stay committed and focused, because if you do not remain committed to the task by failing to engage your own peers, your advocacy and your work will not truly be informed by the views of your peers. Your voice will become weakened if it does not truly speak for your generation,” she pointed out.

“To be the voice of your generation you must engage, and you must hear from your own peers. There is a diverse range of life experiences among the youth and those experiences must be fed into the advocacy that you do. Stay committed and this will ensure that there is a sustainable future,” the minister stressed.

– JIS