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| Premier Amory (second right) in conversation with Mrs Masie Bartlette. Mr Malcolm Guishard stands third right, and on his right is Ms Jacqueline Brookes. |
Charlestown Nevis (October 10, 2005) -- Arrangements have been put in place for a North American college to issue certificates and diplomas to persons who undertake information technology studies at the Masie Bartlette Community Centre, Brown Hill in the St. John's Parish.
Area parliamentary representative, who is also the Minister of Tourism and Culture in the Nevis Island Administration, the Hon Mr Malcolm Guishard, made the announcement Saturday evening at the official opening ceremony of the new Brown Hill Community Centre, which was named in honour of a community member, Mrs Masie Bartlette.
The computer classes will be up and running pretty shortly, said Mr Guishard. There is a gentleman who is putting up a syllabus together and earlier this morning I got an email from him, indicating that he had already sourced a college in North America, which would offer certificates and diplomas to persons who are successful in the training exercises.
According to Minister Guishard, the gentleman would be conducting training exercises, but the exams would be marked by the college, which is based in North America, the result of which the certificates and diplomas would have the name of the North American college on them. He added that those certificates and diplomas would be recognised anywhere in the world.
He thanked members of the Brown Hill area, who despite a flash flood warning turned out in their numbers to witness the opening of the new community centre. The ceremony was also attended by the Honourable Premier, Mr Vance Amory, who gave brief remarks. Mrs Masie Bartlette, for who the centre was named, cut the ribbon to declare it officially opened.
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| Mrs Masie Bartlette tries one of the computers after she cut the ribbon to officially open the centre named after her.
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In his address, Premier Amory observed that as a former teacher and one who is interested in the development of people generally, he thought that the Saturday's event should mark the beginning of a new wave in the social and educational development of the people not only in Brown Hill but also in the surrounding areas.
This government, of which I am a member, was elected to serve the people of Nevis and we have set ourselves a number of priorities and one of the priorities has always been to ensure that we provide adequate educational and social development for our people, said the Premier.
He told the gathering that the government had in place a director of community education, whose work is to guide the process of ensuring that those persons in the community, whether they are of school age or if they had left school or if they were older persons, they could access the training opportunities to be offered at the facility in Brown Hill.
Director of Community Education, Ms Jacqueline Brookes challenged the people of Brown Hill to make use of the facility, saying that courses to cover sewing, cookery and cake making and decoration would be introduced shortly. The centre, which was blessed by Canon Father Alson B. H. Percival, apart from the computer labs, also has an Internet Café.
