Minister for Education and Youth Alden McLaughlin heard of the concerns and achievements in youth development during a recent meeting with the National Youth Commission Chair Jenny Manderson and board.
‘We see good things happening, and we have great expectations for the continued implementation of new and effective policies,’ Mrs. Manderson told Mr. McLaughlin during the meeting.
Mr. McLaughlin spoke to several initiatives under way, including the appointment of a consultant to oversee the implementation of the National Youth Policy and streamlined information gathering, states a GIS press release.
He noted that the ministry had recently recruited a deputy with responsibility for statistical research.
Mr. McLaughlin also encouraged youth organisations to more effectively use existing public facilities.
‘We have to share what we have, for we can’t afford purpose-built buildings for each programme.’
Mr. McLaughlin was accompanied by the ministry’s Chief Officer Angela Martins and Assistant Chief Officer Joel Francis. In addition to Mrs. Manderson, NYC representatives included Deputy Director of the Department of Youth and Sports Katherine Whittaker, Youth Services Coordinator James Myles, and representatives from the Scouts, Youth for Christ and other community agencies.
A key education concern was the issue of students who become dropouts or high school graduates with limited qualifications. In addition to the costs of dealing with young people who are not successful in the system, they can become non-productive citizens or burdens on society.
Mrs. Manderson spoke to the urgent need for consistent, positive values and messages; to invest in youth with specific programmes; to protect youth from dangerous paths; to discourage anti-social behaviour; and to prevent negative influences on other children.
The NYC chairman also expressed a wish to see more community and corporate involvement in youth development, saying, ‘While we acknowledge the many high-quality programmes, there are many opportunities for a more holistic approach to youth development.’
For more information on the work of the National Youth Commission, please contact the office at 946-6151, or email [email protected].
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