Summer Benjamin, POP Youth Ambassador for the Caribbean participated in the Virtual Caribbean Safe School Initiative Pre-Ministerial Forum on 15-26 March 2021 as a speaker. Youth representatives across the region who play an integral role and are advocates for school safety were engaged in a panel discussion to share their thoughts, experiences and lessons learnt on the impact of COVID-19 on school safety. The session was held with the participation of Youth Representatives, Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Education, School Safety Focal Points, Community-Based Organization, INGOs, Local NGOs, Education Officers, and Teachers.

The outcomes of the session included,

• Engage youth in discussions on youth governance within national education systems
• Highlight and explore the challenges and opportunities encountered by Youth in accessing education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic

About the Caribbean Safe School Initiative:

The Caribbean Safe School Initiative (CSSI) aims to advance safety in Caribbean schools. It is the regional mechanism for replicating the nexus between education and resilience, and for ensuring coordination in the region.

The Caribbean Safe School Ministerial Forum is the flagship biennial meeting of Ministers of Education from across the region, disaster risk reduction practitioners and international and regional stakeholders to explore and identify policy opportunities and gaps for education sector resilience and their regional coordination. This should be done in the context of systemic risk, and with a multi-hazard approach, including biological hazards, such as COVID-19. It is the forum for reaching and/or affirming the support of ministries of education in the region for the Antigua and Barbuda Declaration on School Safety in the Caribbean and the agreed roadmap for its implementation.

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