Students call for cameraderie for Champs.

  ‘STUDENTS FOR TRANSFORMATION'-‘- YOUNG PEOPLE CALL FOR END TO CRIME & VIOLENCE IN & AMONG SCHOOLS:

Students from a number of leading corporate area schools have come together to form a group called "Students for Transformation', with the aim of pooling ideas and activities to address the rise of crime and  violence within and among schools across the island.

The students are particularly keen on addressing these concerns with the upcoming Boys and Girls Championships scheduled for April 1-4 at the National Stadium and what they say are the usual increase in anti-social behaviour during the season leading up to ‘Champs'.

The representing key stakeholders from Kingston College, Calabar, St George's, St Hugh's, Queens, Jamaica College, Ardenne and Tarrant High, held a press conference at Jamaica house this morning, (March 27) during which they outlined their aims and objectives.

The group's formation was inspired by the National Transformation Programme, led by the Reverend Al Miller and it has been working assiduously in helping to promote peace in all schools.   The work of ‘Students for Transformation' will include student exchanges within schools, where students will take part in devotion exercises, school exchanges, and joint celebrations between schools following the victory at the games where there will be group celebrations among all the students.

In expressing the group's concerns about crime and violence in schools, Jason Curate of St George's, said that as agents of change the students have the responsibility and the capacity to create the transformation in homes, schools and throughout the island. "As we engage in this and every ISSA Boys and Girls Championships, we continue to promote peace, peace now before CHAMPS, peace after and peace outside of Champs", Jason Curate declared .

The students called on parents and civil society to provide the love and care  they need and on their fellow students to ‘Come, cheer and make noise for your school of choice but aid in the promotion and maintenance of discipline, law and order'.

To support their message for peace, the students presented a deejay piece performed by ‘Slim and Rudy' which urged other students to take advantage of the opportunities provided through education and ‘not to wait until it's too late when you not coming back through the school gate'.