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| Vance Amory |
Charlestown Nevis (February 7, 2005) While the Nevis Island Government continues to make significant investments in the education of the youth on the island, Premier and Minister of Education, the Hon Vance Amory predicted that the academic year 2004/2005 will be as outstanding as the previous year.
I feel that we will have good results this year again, Premier Amory told the government press during an interview on Friday 4, and added, The reason is that government has place a very serious importance and priority on education in Nevis.
Premier Amory commented that although people have criticized the government, credit should be given that the government has not only focused on the academic development of the young. He said, The fact cannot be denied that the education system in Nevis has produced outstanding students who are able to hold their own in the region and we know will hold their own anywhere in the world wherever they go.
But in addition to that, we do have a pretty strong support service where we have the VOTEC, (Vocational and Technical Education) we have students involved in the technological education, students involved in building trades, electronics, electrical work, in wood work, so there is in fact a wide range of programs for our students.
The Education Minister observed that although the government may not be perfect in regard to the social aspect of the education system, one could see that government has invested heavily in ensuring that the students become involved in things other than the technical and academic subjects.
There is the focus on cultural development, in singing, in music, in drama, said Premier Amory. There is the development of our students who become involve in other aspects, craft and so on and these we feel are being new involvements, new investments by our government.
When we see the schools in concert we see the quality of our singing of our students, we see the type of output we get from the choirs of the high schools. When we see the kind of involvement in our young people in the Palm Awards and the quality of the singing and also in the reintroduction of drama in our schools, I think this government needs to be complimented for expanding the development of our human resource of our children in particular, and this also will spill over in to the community.
Premier Amory made special mention to the reintroduction of the steel pan and string band music in schools. He said, These are avenues of reinvigorating our cultural heritage and I feel that the innovations, or the reintroduction of these things are testament to the interest which this government has and to the importance which this government pays on the total development of our society.
In closing the Education Minister said, The fact that the level of unemployment is at a manageable level, when you look at the economic activity, the number of businesses which are opening, the economic aspect of our country, I feel that the people of Nevis really have an environment which is conducive for their future development.
