BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE talent of teachers and students from across St. Kitts was displayed yesterday (Oct. 21), as the Ministry of Education opened its doors to the general public for the first-ever Education Fair.
Independence Square was packed all day as persons left their homes and businesses to participate in the festivities. Held as part of the inaugural Education Week of activities, the fair featured presentations from primary and secondary schools across the island.
Among the outstanding examples were those by the newly-opened Saddlers Secondary School showcasing the smart board technology utilised by its students, and the Washington Archibald High School’s photo-essay depiction of its history and accomplishments in academia and sports.
Representatives from the Early Childhood Development Unit were also on-hand to exhibit the creative work of their young charges, which included art pieces made from household items such as beads, paper bags, shells, plastic plates and bottle caps.
According to Senior Education Officer Michael Blake, the objective behind the week was to expose the public to the talents of those involved in education, both as teachers and learners. He articulated the Ministry’s hope that the fair would shatter misconceptions about the education sector in St. Kitts.
“We wanted to break the narrow view held by some that education is only in the classroom, when it is becoming commonly accepted that education is in practically everything we do. There are so many other weeks or months related to other topics, and we felt it was about time the public got an idea of what actually transpires at the Ministry of Education,” he explained.
The education official outlined some of the week’s prior activities, which included a church service, an awards ceremony honouring 46 practicing teachers and a concert at Warner Park that saw teachers and students display their skills in the performing arts.
Blake also divulged some of the upcoming events that persons should look out for in the remainder of the week.
“This evening, (Oct. 22), there will be a panel discussion on ZIZ concerning the state of the education industry in St. Kitts – what we have done, what we are doing and what we hope to accomplish in the future. The week will conclude with a ceremony honouring 25 past teachers on Friday (Oct. 23) and a walk to Frigate Bay on Saturday (Oct. 24).”
