ROADTOWN Tortola BVI, March 19th, 2012 – Comments and recommended changes for the Virgin Islands’ education system put forward by residents from various sectors of the community will form the basis of “White Paper” to be created by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
The comments were created at the Education Summit held on Saturday, March 17. A White Paper is a Government or other authoritative report giving information or proposals on an issue. The Ministry of Education and Culture’s Summit was organised in two parts.
Panel one featured eight panellists who spoke on the challenges impacting the education system while panel two featured seven panellists who spoke on the possible solutions to improve the system. Long-time educators Mrs. Judith Vanterpool moderated Panel one while Dr. Charles Wheatley moderated panel two. After each panel discussion the audience was allowed to add to the discussion and presented their views.
The panellists represented various sectors in the community including the private sector, the business community, special education, educators, administrators, teachers, parents and students.
Some of the issues raised during the open and frank discussions were the need to introduce technical and vocational programmes from the primary level, the need for class projects to reflect primary research, secondary students being unprepared for the transition from secondary to tertiary education, teacher competency, teacher burn out, teacher frustrations, the use of technology in the classroom, using CXC as the benchmark secondary examination and entry-level skills of secondary students to the labour force.
Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn said, the conversation was meant to be “thought provoking and one that will inspire change”. He encouraged persons to be “inspired enthusiastically to join this journey that the Ministry of Education and Culture is now on to seek to create a culture of excellence within our education system.”
Minister Walwyn added, “The road to get to that culture of excellence in education will not be easy. However, I am driven to do my best to facilitate this change, because I believe each and every child in the Virgin Islands deserves a solid education that can take them anywhere.”
He added, “As our Territory is moving forward, every day I see young people that feel that they are on the outside of this development. It is through education that all of our young people will cultivate their talents and skills to become a part of the advancements in our community.”
Questions asked by Minister Walwyn included, “Are the expectations of parents and teachers in line with the education of our children? What can we do to better prepare our students to enter the labour force? What is role of the private sector in ensuring that students who get their first jobs also are presented with adequate training and a path for advancement on those jobs for those careers?
What do we do about the young men on the other side of the school fence? What can we do in our education system so that in the next 10 years, local faces are the head of major establishments throughout the Territory? And lastly, what are the effects of an aged education system on a modern economy?”
Audience members stated that they were pleased and impressed by the level of dialogue raised at the summit, and deeply encouraged by the conversation. The Ministry of Education and Culture will continue to host similar meetings as they solicit community input to address the Territory’s education system.
The Education Summit, the first of its kind, was the culminating activity for Education Week 2012. Held at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium, the sub-theme for the Summit was, “Building the Local Knowledge Base for Global Competitiveness” while the theme for Education Week was, “Creating A Culture of Excellence Through Prevention and Intervention.”
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