ROADTOWN Tortola BVI, December 11, 2013 - Eighteen students with varying abilities and skills graduated from the B.V.I. Technical and Vocational Institute (BVITVI) yesterday full of enthusiasm and ready for their next educational journey.
Class Valedictorian Ms. Kamara Wright in her remarks said, “We made it. We did it together. All of us have had setbacks, some more difficult than others but here we are, still standing strong.”
Acknowledging different pathways lead them to this point, the Valedictorian said, “Our starting path will be different to other students but at the end of the day its where our paths take us that matters. It is my hope that this second chance we have all gotten will take us a step closer to making our dreams a reality.”
Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn in his remarks congratulated the students on their stellar accomplishments. The Minister said after reviewing their grades, he was impressed with their aptitude and is optimistic about their future.
Setting the pathway for their next step, Minister Walwyn stated that the students can enter a “fast track to receive their high school diplomas as early as a year from now, provided they work hard and they meet the requirements for graduation.” This will be done through the Alternative Secondary Education Programme.
He continued, “The pathway has been set for them to do this. This is nothing new. In education all across the world, fast track pathways are put in place to help students reach their desired goals, provided they have the competencies to do so. We will do all
within our powers to help those graduants here this afternoon, receive their high school diplomas and so I encourage graduates to sign up and get in the Alternative Secondary Education Programme.”
Acting Principal of the school Ms. Germaine Scatliffe noted that the students share a common sense of joy and accomplishment. She said they were faced with a new competency based curriculum that had more structure and expected more from them.
This she said, challenged the students to be more focused and accountable for their learning. She noted that some students became tired, but with constant encouragement from the administration and staff, they repositioned themselves and are now members of the 2013 graduating class.
She along with several other speakers congratulated the student’s on their accomplishments
Salutatorian Ms. Maybe Rodriguez said she is extremely proud of her BVITVI family. “Our teachers pushed us to our limits, at times, I felt like quitting, however we were taught that quitting should never be an option.” If she had one word to describe her friends, she said it would be, “Awesome.”
She said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”
Of the 2013 graduating class, fourteen students received certificates of technical and vocation studies, of which eleven passed seven subjects and three passed six subjects. Of the remaining four students, three completed four subjects including English and Math and one received a certificate of attendance. Four students graduated with honours.
This graduating exercise signals a historic point in the school’s advancement as it marks the end of one era and the beginning of a new one with the opening of the new technical school in September 2014.
The Ministry of Education and Culture seeks to reach every student as it endeavous to Create a Culture of Excellence.
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