BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Ministry of Education and Information has made a call on the corporate world to follow in the footsteps of two of their own and take the various government-owned learning institutions under their wings.
Mrs. Ionie Liburd-Willet, Permanent Secretary of Education in a recent ceremony for the adoption of the Dr. William Connor Primary School, made the call for businesses across the Federation to adopt schools, both primary and secondary.
She said that the Ministry of Education cannot properly provide for the schools on its own and that is why the private companies are needed - to assist in the areas where the government unable to manage.
"The Ministry of Education and Information cannot work in isolation to provide for the nation's children and their needs. It is through this end that I call on other corporate citizens to emulate what Premier Dental and Hensley and Partners have done and choose one of our remaining primary or secondary schools for adoption," she said.
She made mention of the proverb "it takes a village to raise a child", noting that the saying is relevant and meaningful as the business' community responsibility is needed in order for the schools to continue to progress and be successful.
Hon. Nigel Carty, Minister of Education and Information, in supporting the call, said that it is important for not only the private sector but all sectors to give back to the community as it is vital for the success of the younger generation.
"We [government] believe that in order for education to be successful in training our young men and woman, boys and girls, to help them cater to their fullest potential, there is need for partnership between the government and the private sector or among all sectors of society."
He said that it is an intricate task for the government, by itself, to manage the upkeep of the institutions.
"It is clear that government alone is not able to keep the schools in the way that the students and the wider community would want it to the very best advantage of the students and the young people. It is a difficult task."
He said that education is the best investment that one can make, that there is need to raise that standard of education in the Federation and that is where the business community comes in - partnering with the government "to provide the proper education for our young men and women, boys and girls that this country would become a better one, a more prosperous one, a more just one, a more secure one".
"I believe that in giving we receive because as we create a more secure future for our boys and girls, we create a more secure future for ourselves as well," Carty said.
The first adoption took place on June 1, which was that of the St. Pauls Primary School by Hensley and Partners. Almost at the end of that same month, the official adoption of the Dr. Williams Connor Primary School by Premier Dental took place, with the firm pledging an annual EC$20 000 support towards the school.
