Hon. Skelton: Fraser ran away from KATS “like hot potato”
At the recent HOA sitting on May 10, 2012, Third District Representative Hon. Julian Fraser, RA mentioned that the BVI Water Sports programme in Sea Cows Bay, if continued, would see a major shift in the sailing industry. At the moment, most of the Captain positions are taken up by expatriates.
The District Representative told the House that he sees the validity and potential in the programme, and supported the initiative from its inception.
To this end, he encouraged Minister for Education and Culture Hon. Myron Walwyn to “recognise the importance and continue to support it”.
“As the new Minister you may want to take a close look at how it works, make whatever adjustments where the case may be...but it is vital, it is needed and it is something we must continue to have,” Hon. Fraser pointed out.
However, Hon. Skelton stated that Government has recognised the importance of such an initiative, which is based in Sea Cows Bay, and said he recalled the District Representative did not want to be associated with the programme.
“...he run away from the programme like if it was a hot potato,” the Health and Social Development Minister claimed.
“I did not think he wanted it and it’s a good programme...anything to help out young men and women from getting off the streets and making them more responsible. The Director of the programme is doing a fantastic job. He has total connection with the kids,” Hon. Skelton added.
Furthermore, the Minister said he did not want the public to get the impression that the District Representative was putting the Government in its place because “the next time you will see it on VINO and Platinum that we are put in our place for these things, no man no, no, no.”
A brief overview of KATS
The KATS watersports programme has many types of classes offered to any child between ages of five and 18. According to its website, it has some parameters that must be met before a child can move on from one programme to the next.
Number one is that the child must first take the swimming course, pass successfully, and then can move to other programme that KATS offers.
The second programme is the Sea Skills class. The next available programme that a student can move onto is Sailing, of which there are three levels.
Sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of the Virgin Islands and currently run by the Rotaract Club of Tortola, the KATS programme has graduated almost 600 students.
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