Scores of students are expected to gather at the Stella Maris Resource Centre at 62 Shortwood Road today to participate in the annual youth forum organised by the National Child Month Committee (NCMC).

The forum will focus on the theme this year for Child Month, 'Restore the Family: Save the Children' and will see representatives from several schools overseeing the day's agenda.

According to Dr. Pauline Mullings, chairperson of the NCMC, the forum offers an opportunity to listen to the thoughts and feelings of children, especially as it relates to the theme.

"For example, we want to find out from them who is responsible for the breakdown in the family. We want to find out how is it that we are going to assist the family in rebuilding, and we want to know whose job it is to rebuild. We want to find out if all our young people feel that anything can be done to restore the family and if our children can truly be saved," she said.

The panel

There will be a panel consisting of representatives from Kingston College, Holy Childhood, Merl Grove, and Meadowbrook high schools as well as Balcombe Drive All-Age. "Each will give their perspective on the theme," she explained.

"Children will be doing everything that day. The chairman will be from a separate school, likewise the moderator from another school and the vote of thanks will be done by another school," she added.

Dr. Mullings expects that the information gleaned from the presentations will be disseminated widely, so that it will influence policymakers, parents and caregivers.

Minister of Education and Youth, Maxine Henry-Wilson, will be the guest speaker for the event, which begins at 9:00 a.m.

Though the youth forum is an annual Child Month activity, this year it was moved to November as the NCMC has now committed itself to organising year-long activities geared towards the nation's children. This year, GraceKennedy and Cable and Wireless Jamaica have collaborated to sponsor the event.