National Secondary Students Council

Background

The National Secondary Students’ Council was established in 1975, through a policy brought before government in 1973. This policy came as a response to the growing demand for effective student representation and the need for students’ involvement in the decision making process of schools at the all levels. As student advocacy saw tremendous growth in Jamaica in the 1970’s, student governance received legitimacy through the Education Act of 1980.

The Education Act of 1980 stated that “every public education institution shall have a students’ council, which shall consist of elected representatives of students with at least one staff advisor, elected by students.”
It also outlined that “through the student councils at the secondary and tertiary levels the student shall have the right to –

1. Democratically elect their representatives;
2. Have representation on the board of the institution;
3. Meet with the principal, and staff or both, on any matter affecting the students’ interest

The National Secondary Students’ Council has evolved over the years to become an institution that advocates strongly on behalf of students of Jamaican secondary schools. Despite the tremendous possibilities inherent in the NSSC, its service to the nation’s secondary students waned in the late 1990’s.
The programme was revamped in 2003 under the leadership of the Director of the National Centre for Youth Development and currently represents 159 secondary schools and over 300,000 students. The NSSC continues its representation of Jamaica’s students with the guiding philosophy, “responsible students make the difference”.