Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Adequate training, guidance urged in Education Week Launch

Education Minister, Hon. Myron V. Walwyn, was among those advocating for more training and better supervision for students of the Territory during yesterday's Education Week Launch at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium of the HLSCC. Photo: VINO
Students of the Althea Scatliffe Primary School perform a phonics 'rap' during the opening ceremony. Photo: VINO
Students of the Althea Scatliffe Primary School perform a phonics 'rap' during the opening ceremony. Photo: VINO
Students of the Elmore Stoutt High School perform a skit titled 'Job Application'. Photo: VINO
Students of the Elmore Stoutt High School perform a skit titled 'Job Application'. Photo: VINO
Acting Chief Education Officer, Mrs Jillian Douglas-Phillips said, “We must be vigilant, we must revisit and we must keep abreast of the best practices in education through reading and action research…”. Photo: VINO
Acting Chief Education Officer, Mrs Jillian Douglas-Phillips said, “We must be vigilant, we must revisit and we must keep abreast of the best practices in education through reading and action research…”. Photo: VINO
Students and teachers observe proceedings outside of the Eileene L. Parsons auditorium. Photo: VINO
Students and teachers observe proceedings outside of the Eileene L. Parsons auditorium. Photo: VINO
The Donovan family does a skit titled 'Reading is Fundamental'. Photo: VINO
The Donovan family does a skit titled 'Reading is Fundamental'. Photo: VINO
The Agape Total Life Centre performs a skit title 'Reading Lesson'. Photo: VINO
The Agape Total Life Centre performs a skit title 'Reading Lesson'. Photo: VINO
Students of the Simmonds Pre-School offer a literacy prayer during the opening ceremony of Education Week. Photo: VINO
Students of the Simmonds Pre-School offer a literacy prayer during the opening ceremony of Education Week. Photo: VINO
Deputy Premier, Hon. Kedrick D. Pickering urged that persons seize every educational opportunity to learn, develop and grow so that a place could be guaranteed in “this competitive world” whether personally or professionally. Photo: VINO
Deputy Premier, Hon. Kedrick D. Pickering urged that persons seize every educational opportunity to learn, develop and grow so that a place could be guaranteed in “this competitive world” whether personally or professionally. Photo: VINO
Bisa Smith performs a song during the opening ceremony of Education Week 2013. Photo: VINO
Bisa Smith performs a song during the opening ceremony of Education Week 2013. Photo: VINO
PARAQUITA BAY, Tortola, VI – Celebrations for Education Week 2013 were launched yesterday, March 10, 2013 in a ceremony filled with speeches and cultural performances at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC).

Education Minister Myron V. Walwyn said students always needed to be shown support and be guided in the right direction. He expressed a belief in the adequate training of early child care providers and stated the importance of moulding young minds as being integral to a child’s subsequent academic performance.

“We want to ensure that when those young students move on to primary and secondary (school) that there is a strong foundation upon which we can build,” Hon. Walwyn said.

In giving students the best chance of success, he added, the government will continue to ensure the training of public educators and to also invest in them so that they can lead the ‘culture of excellence’.

While urging the need for a continuous competitive environment, the Education Minister stated, “We can no longer leave (children) in the shadows and bound them to a life of inequality and social repression… we can no longer ignore the needs of these children.”

Hon. Walwyn noted that our young people do not need another hero, but instead, “we need to help them find a way home to prosperity, their full potential and through literacy and education, we need all our citizens to find just that.”

“The cornerstone to the development of any country or nation is education,” said Acting Premier Dr The Hon. Kedrick D. Pickering on the occasion of the launch of Education Week 2013.

He assured that Government’s commitment to education is very real while adding that education accounts for some 18.71 percent of the government’s budget. Dr Pickering exhorted students in attendance to be better today than they were yesterday.

This year’s Education Week Theme is ‘Creating A Culture of Excellence Through Prevention and Intervention’ and with this in mind, he urged that persons seize every educational opportunity to learn, develop and grow so that a place could be guaranteed in “this competitive world” whether personally or professionally.

According to the Acting Premier, “If we allow ourselves to become divided, especially along political lines, then we are going to destroy ourselves in the process.” Consequently, he added, we must not see disagreement as being negative, but rather, as being positive and a way to enhance not only ourselves, but the world around us. He pointed to the current Secondary School debates and said there was much to be learnt when we delve into the causes and effects of things in an effort to effectively address them.

Meanwhile, Acting Chief Education Officer, Mrs Jillian Douglas-Phillips said, “We must be vigilant, we must revisit and we must keep abreast of the best practices in education through reading and action research…”

She asked rhetorically, whether educators are catering to gifted students of the Territory. “Do we know who these gifted students are? Are we ensuring that learning is taking place or are we just trying to get to the end of the curriculum?” she asked amidst some other searching questions for educators in the Territory.

She encouraged parents to remain alert and observe their children both at work and at play. “What you think is of little importance, may be the root to a problem, that with time, can be an impediment to learning,” she offered.

She also urged parents to discuss any concerns that arose about their children with guidance counsellors at their schools.

There were also several dances, skits and songs from students of various schools around the Territory that offered much entertainment to the audience at the opening ceremony of Education Week.

21 Responses to “Adequate training, guidance urged in Education Week Launch”

  • perception (11/03/2013, 09:54) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Where is Mr. Walwyn's tie?
    • zoe (11/03/2013, 10:14) Like (4) Dislike (18) Reply
      Come on you all know the poor faller aint know how to dress wid dem ugly colors dat don’t match give he a break man...he tis not minister material
  • virgin gorda (11/03/2013, 10:23) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    little or nothing has been done for the past 15 months by Myron.... i doubt that will change now....

  • mary j (11/03/2013, 10:32) Like (1) Dislike (14) Reply
    I find it mind-boggling that Myron will take our tax dollars to pour into the private sector day care when teachers in public schools do not have the tools to work with, some schools even do not have chairs for students to sit, water for the kids to drink and working rest rooms with lights.

    How much longer are we going to let Myron send the country to hell in a hand basket????…time to march people two more years of this is just too much!!!!
    • Worried (13/03/2013, 02:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      This is the price for the incompetence, selfishness, and self-serving attitudes of our supposed leaders
  • @@@@@ (11/03/2013, 10:40) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Big wheels and big deals
    • love not hate (11/03/2013, 19:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Unfortunately, fueled by the media and each other, many (if not most) of the readers comments are incredibly negative and condemning
  • wise-up (11/03/2013, 12:28) Like (0) Dislike (14) Reply
    some person with Myron's number should call him and let him know he needs to pay more attention to the poor conditions at the high school
    • @ wise-up (11/03/2013, 14:09) Like (1) Dislike (13) Reply
      Did the poor conditions of the High School and all the public schools in the BVI just happened since the last election, or isn't a a fact that this is a situation that the NDP government has inherited? Why you didn't ask the VIP Government to fix those problems with the money they wasted on the study for the drag-racing strip study, the medical school study, the money that the VIP used to do over the NHI study using the same company that the NDP had previously used and now at an increased rate. Lets stop being so political about everything that is classified as news. It's clear that Myron is doing a hella great job and thats why you guys down talk him for everything he does or speaks about....
      • did what? (11/03/2013, 16:18) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
        The only thing that Myron have done is give a few friends and cuz some work!!! When will that Walwyn offer up solutions to the country's education problems?
      • wise-up (11/03/2013, 17:19) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
        i never accused Myron for the current conditions at the High School; simply ask that he pay attention to them; you sound like one of his girl friends!!!!!!!
    • ... (11/03/2013, 16:04) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      for real he needs to contribute something positive to the community schools.
  • True (11/03/2013, 14:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Okay same question as last time this was brought up" WHERE ARE THE PUMP OUT STATIONS IN THE BVI"
  • justice (11/03/2013, 16:36) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    I can't understand the mentality of some of the bloggers of this site. No matter the topic it ALWAYS have some bias person who will make it a political issue. What example is being set for the younger ones reading these statements and seeing that more than 50% of the comments made here are aimed at pulling down and not to build up. Come on people behave responsibilly and set a better example for a better VI tomorrow.
    • @ justice (11/03/2013, 18:06) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Your posts are incomprehensible.
    • TO: justice (11/03/2013, 18:23) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Wow, our post must have really rubbed you the wrong way, huh?
      Feeling a bit exposed are we?

      Anyway, the only direct reply I have to your rather interesting and delusional post is ... up your dosage, my friend.
    • bat man (11/03/2013, 18:57) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
      It is good to know at least one other person 'justice' sees the bigger picture ... or in fact actually gives a damn about the bigger picture.
  • Rat (11/03/2013, 17:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Education should be our main priority at this point. Our people are losing because we are not educating them...the country will continue to lose because our people are ignorant. The definition of ignorant/ignorance is literally: 'Lack of education'.

  • JACK BE STILL (11/03/2013, 21:32) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    Sit down children, let Uncle Myron tell you a story.



Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.