A Seat

Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa Gumbs is doing something that governments often say they want, then quietly avoid when it becomes inconvenient, she is giving young people a seat at the table and letting them help set the table.

The launch of the Youth Cabinet, with its first meeting on Thursday, February 12, matters for one simple reason: it treats youth participation as policy. The Minister has been clear that the first session will be introductory and that she will set that agenda, but after that, the Youth Cabinet members themselves will set the topics. That distinction answers the confusion some have raised in the community. If St. Maarten is serious about youth involvement in policy direction, legislative repair, and reform, then the adults cannot script the conversation and call it participation.

What makes this initiative more than a nice announcement is that it fits the Minister’s own story. As a teen, she was involved and vocal from high school into college. That lived experience shows up in how she speaks about young people now, not as future citizens waiting their turn, but as present stakeholders with real observations about their wellbeing and their prospects on St. Maarten. It is also reflected in her focus on what really determines whether young people succeed, literacy and numeracy, and the day-to-day conditions that decide whether students can thrive in both public and subsidized schools.

The Youth Cabinet can also become something else, a practical training ground for democracy. When teens debate priorities, hear how policy works, and see the tradeoffs behind decisions, they do not just “get a say.” They build confidence, critical thinking, and civic fluency. Over time, that produces what every country claims it wants: well informed, well rounded, and solid citizens of tomorrow.

Of course, a Youth Cabinet only works if institutions cooperate. If some institutions or stakeholders choose to drag their feet, misunderstand the point, or treat youth engagement as optional, they should remember that history is not kind to institutions that consistently land on the wrong side of progress. The Minister has opened the door. Walk through, do not stand in the doorway.

St. Maarten needs young people who feel heard, and also young people who understand how to turn concern into constructive action. This Youth Cabinet, if respected and taken seriously, can do both.

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