BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, April 23rd, 2012 (CUOPM) – Programmes aimed at combating violence in schools and creating a friendly environment will continue during the course of this year, according to St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Education, Sen. the Hon. Nigel Carty.
“The threat of continuing violence summons a potent response from the Ministry of Education in the form our Violence Mitigation or Peace Promotion programme geared towards the creation of a more friendly school environment for students and teachers alike, and a curtailment of the trend of violence in our society, more generally,” said Minister Carty, who noted that over the last year, his ministry acted quickly to increase the complement of primary school guidance counsellors to assist schools in directly addressing the identifiable psycho-social problems of students.
He said there has been more systematic outreach of schools to the parent community.
“Our Peace Promotion Programme will be improved upon in the ensuing year. We will continue the implementation of our UNICEF-sponsored Violence Prevention project which involves training of teachers, assessment of schools, putting into effect specific policies to address anti-social behaviour, and an evaluation of the targeted outcomes,” said Minister Carty.
Outlining the mission of the Ministry of Education for 2012, Minister Carty mentioned the development of a school curriculum to promote peace, legislation to promote and regulate anti-social behaviour and parental responsibility, advocate for the development of Teen Courts as an alternative justice programme, and further investigate the subject matter of drug-testing in schools, among other significant recommendations.
He said the plans and priorities of the Ministry of Education and Information are designed to make a real difference in the lives of teachers and students, to enhance the prospects of students in school and beyond, and to change the socio-economic landscape of the country for the better.
“In a broad sense, our objectives for 2012 are to improve the morale and professionalism of our teaching force, improve the relevance of the academic, social and technical training of our students in an enhanced setting, and efficiently manage the resources allocated to our charge, supported by monitoring and evaluative tools and exercises,” said Minister Carty in his message outlined in the 2012 Estimates approved by the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly.
He says he looks forward to 2012 with great expectation of his ministry's success in helping to move the people and country significantly forward and upward.
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