Hon Walwyn defends poorly implemented 12th Grade Programme
The controversial Minister has been blasted for the poor planning and execution of the programme, since all the facilities are not in place, creating a logistical havoc with the shortage of teachers and the 12th Grade students of Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) having to be placed at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) in Paraquita Bay, among others.
Speaking on the radio programme- NDP Radio on 780 AM ZBVI on Monday April 3, 2017 Hon Walwyn said the Virgin Islands (UK) is leading the region in education, at least in that area.
“When you guys were talking earlier I was saying to myself that I have the most important job in the country, but then I said to myself that perhaps Honourable Ronnie. W. Skelton (Minister for Health and Social Development) would say if you not alive you could not study. But the goal and development that we continue to do in the country, if we don’t have proper human resource, that’s where the education component counts and we have been doing a lot of extensive work in education, of course trying to make education relevant to what is happening in the Virgin Islands in the region,” he remarked.
He continued, saying that this is to be able to better prepare students and the people to not just to make a living for themselves but to use education as currency to improve the community in which they live, “To make sure that it is a force for justice, to make sure that it is culturally enriched, so that’s what our whole education program has been built on.”
VI leading the way in education in the region?
According to Hon Walwyn, he recently returned from a human resource strategy session that is being undertaken by CARICOM when part of the discussion began looking like they were singing from his hymn sheet.
“Funny enough I just came yesterday from a Human Resource Development Strategy session that is being done by CARICOM, looking at how we are going to use the young people, because 43 percent of the population in the Caribbean is made up of young people, how we are going to use them as an engine for progress in our respective countries,” he said.
During the discussion, when everyone took a look at the presented strategy, “the Permanent Secretary (Dr Marcia Potter) and I looked across from each other and smiled to each other because a lot of the things that they are talking about we have already done them.”
He continued, “There was a very long discussion for about half an hour on adding a year or two to the school system because students were not adequately prepared, when you looked at the results coming out they tied back some of it to the maturity of students and so forth. And then I said to myself, well that’s very interesting because we have already done this. So I think that was very good that we had done some of the things and we are in the right direction.”
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43 Responses to “Hon Walwyn defends poorly implemented 12th Grade Programme”
What I said has nothing to do with the messenger, but everything to do with the message. Look, let us be reasonable, say you got an A or B in a class, you are rightly pleased and exited as you should be and looking forward to taking the next higher course only to be told you have to repeat this course because the minister of education said so. Now be honest, how would you feel? No one wants this for themselves or their children. This sort of misguided policy only leads to frustration and psychological trauma. And this is what causes students to drop out and turn to crime.
I also don't believe Dr. Potter looked at Mr. Walwyn in approval of this policy. That would be like her advisor telling her: "I know you have your BS and your MA but in order to get your Phd., you have to repeat your BS and your MA before you can study for the PhD.". What sense would that make?
Do not marry your party nor your representatives just for trinkets because in the end their only interest is their own careers and self importance. I do not hate or envy anyone, I only hate stupid ideas.
We here can't get our increments nor raise.
I AM UPSET! GOVERNOR LOCK THEM TO HELL UP!
What campaigns can we use to remove the stigma from technical vocations, which is what encourages the high demand for work permits? How can we develop the service industry and move away from "trying" to cater to the international tourist before we improve on domestic and regional tourism? How have we used education to move away from imperialism so as to foster better appreciation for a variety of jobs that are available but undesirable? Education is very important and it is being under-utilized in the building of this territory because we are never sure what model we should follow to suit our own needs.
This man should be nominated for @4$ Jack n h*l* of the year.
The plan is so we can finish the syllabus, but what about those of us who have already finished the syllabus before "12th grade"? We were given 3 tracks.
Regular School. These might be the only people benefiting from the year as they have a full schedule and are just completeing the same classes theyve always been doing.
Dually Enrolled. These students take HLSCC Math and English. Majority of them were intially failing do to the constant back and forth between levels of education. These might be the only people benefitting from being on the HLSCC campus.
And finally CAPE Students. These students take a CAPE class, taught by an ESHS teacher (who has no experience in teaching the course and is learning thenselves) and for many of them this only one of the 3-4 classes on their shedule. They have days where they have only one class and are sent to the library for study hall, which they are then kicked out of weekly due to other students taking it as a hiding space for skipping and too much noise.
People always complain about the terrible conditions on the ESHS campus, but never seem to get to the HLSCC campus where classes are thought with the graduates as they are held under the big graduation tent, due to the moldy trailers that are designated for classrooms. They never say anything about the terrible staff who look at us as just high school students but fail to realize that without 12th grade we would be in the same place under different circumstances.
This year is very irrelevant and as a CAPE student it is a waste of my time. After sending a year under the terrible conditions of the HLSCC campus what makes you think that those of us with the choice are going to attend next year? What makes you think that we are going to follow traditon and waste another two years of our lives to become the next BVIslander with an associates degree?
If your doing something, do it right! Why are we a British Overseas Territory using a grade system? Why are we a Caribbean island but we can't even implement a Caribbean education system the right way? Why are we a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean seeking accreditation from an American association? This island is so backwards! And the reason why we will never be able to move forward is because we keep holding each other back!