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Oops! More bad grammar or just an innocent typo? Miss BVI Committee

- The Miss BVI Committee misspelt 'British' & 'Virgin', writing them as 'Birtish' & 'Virigin' in promo ad
Misstep? 'Virgin' is misspelt by the Miss BVI Sub-committee in their promotion for the 2017 Swimwear competition scheduled for July 15, 2017 at Peter Island Resort and Spa. Photo: Facebook
Also in 2015 Hon Myron V. Walwyn (AL), in posting a tribute on Facebook in honour of Dr Pearl L. Varlack, one of Anegada’s famous daughters of the soil who had passed, demonstrated bad grammar. Photo: VINO/File
Also in 2015 Hon Myron V. Walwyn (AL), in posting a tribute on Facebook in honour of Dr Pearl L. Varlack, one of Anegada’s famous daughters of the soil who had passed, demonstrated bad grammar. Photo: VINO/File
It was in 2015 when the Ministry of Education unveiled their National Youth Policy that the cover page had misspelt 'Ministry', writing it as ‘Ministery’, causing much ridicule. Photo: VINO/File
It was in 2015 when the Ministry of Education unveiled their National Youth Policy that the cover page had misspelt 'Ministry', writing it as ‘Ministery’, causing much ridicule. Photo: VINO/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- We all make mistakes, as even the best of us from time to time will miss an 'ed', a 'comma' or even an 's'.

So we chalked it up to perhaps an innocent mistake or typo by the Miss BVI Sub-committee in their promotion for the 2017 Swimwear competition scheduled for July 15, 2017 at Peter Island Resort and Spa.

The typo shows the committee in their promotion misspelt 'British' and 'Virgin', writing them as 'Birtish' and 'Virigin' and it has gone viral on social network. The Committee, now embarrassed, has since pulled the promotion from Facebook, which was posted yesterday June 28, 2017.

However, they can take solace in knowing that the Ministry of Education and Culture, which the Virgin Islands Festival & Fairs Committee falls under, has a history of bad grammar.

Bad grammar at the top

It was in 2015 when the Ministry of Education unveiled its National Youth Policy that the cover page had misspelt 'Ministry', writing it as "Ministery", causing much ridicule.

It was also in 2015 that the Minister himself, Hon Myron V. Walwyn (AL), in posting a tribute on Facebook in honour of Dr Pearl L. Varlack, one of Anegada’s famous daughters of the soil who had passed, demonstrated bad grammar.

However, instead of Social Media looking at the value in the post, many Whatsapp chats, Instagram, Facebook chats and office talk were focused on the poor grammar and many errors in such a short post.

In the post, the Minister wrote ‘three year’ instead of ‘three years’, the plural usage. Mr Walwyn also referred to Dr Varlack as ‘Dr Penn’ in a post less than 50 words.

The short post also referred to Girls as ‘Gil’ and misspelt the surname of Dr Norwel Harrigan, with whom Dr Varlack had co-authored books, as ‘Hariigan.’

We agree that we all make mistakes and Virgin Islands News Online will admit that with some 50 stories a week we have had our fair share of typos; however, the public expects a higher standard from the Ministry that is charged with promoting good education. 

English in schools anyone?

Minister Walwyn has advocated the teaching of Mandarin and French in schools; however, the intellectual class has scoffed at that idea and encouraged Government to promote the reading, writing and speaking of proper English.

At least it may reduce the many typos seen all over public documents and official statements and press releases from central government and statutory bodies.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture has a Phd., and the Minister is reported to be an Attorney at Law.

Click here to view video.

32 Responses to “Oops! More bad grammar or just an innocent typo? Miss BVI Committee”

  • jah (29/06/2017, 17:34) Like (14) Dislike (3) Reply
    Proof read that so important . What about the editors ? Not perfect but that should not happen
    • pat (30/06/2017, 11:41) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      "proof READING is so important". proper English is so important. But I understand dialect as well.
      the problem is that professionals don't know when to use proper vs slang.
  • Hahaha mah belly (29/06/2017, 17:43) Like (18) Dislike (3) Reply
    I wonder what the education missnister have to say about this one?

    Opps, spell check needed.
  • vex (29/06/2017, 17:45) Like (11) Dislike (9) Reply
    Lawd have mercy vino
  • wtf? (29/06/2017, 17:50) Like (6) Dislike (4) Reply
    And they misspelled British as well. Maybe an extra extra year of schooling is needed in Tola?
  • More error (29/06/2017, 17:56) Like (7) Dislike (3) Reply
    Look at how British is spelt " Birtish"
    • holdup (30/06/2017, 18:55) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
      They could misspell "British" each day, I don't care. The name British should be no part of the Virgin Islands. The time is coming, man, it is time to chart our own destiny without the blasted British.
  • Shame Shame (29/06/2017, 17:58) Like (14) Dislike (3) Reply
    That is a bald head promotion from GREAT to GOOD
    • @shameshame (30/06/2017, 03:22) Like (6) Dislike (6) Reply
      And the GOOD to GREAT Minister who wants Hon. Walwyn out makes me wince every time he opens his mouth. This has been happening for a long time. For an Educator when measuring the two I must say Hon. Walwyn writes and delivers better speeches.
      • to much A men in committee (30/06/2017, 22:06) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
        Its not about sex, its about power that is why they run Brin
  • son of the soil (29/06/2017, 17:59) Like (13) Dislike (13) Reply
    Those island people does spell the same way them speak
  • Hmmmm (29/06/2017, 19:03) Like (29) Dislike (7) Reply
    What happens when you take Miss BVI from group local women (several of which are former Miss BVIs who actually have experience being ambassadors for the "British Virgin Islands" both nationally and internationally) and give one our most prominent national cultural events to a foreign national. I bet he knows how to spell Jamaica.
  • fyah ras (29/06/2017, 19:11) Like (13) Dislike (25) Reply
    I swear people always pick on the simplest dumb crap. And so what? There's other things to be taken care of in this BVI. Let's correct them.
    • @ fyah ras (29/06/2017, 20:55) Like (4) Dislike (2) Reply
      If this is the education plan, someone had better go back to the drawing board.
  • teacher john (29/06/2017, 19:51) Like (13) Dislike (4) Reply
    The PS has a phd and she allows her minister to be speaking so badly in public? she needs to vet those speeches
  • tash (29/06/2017, 20:23) Like (15) Dislike (2) Reply
    Walwyn does not know BVI people, names nor culture. It is a huge mistake to have foreign nationals in these posts.
    • @ tash (29/06/2017, 21:07) Like (19) Dislike (30) Reply
      Mr MVW aint going nowhere, while his education might not be the best (speak bad could improve on grammar) he has political skills to get him in again now smoke that!!!
      • tash (30/06/2017, 05:37) Like (12) Dislike (3) Reply
        His right to be in that office will soon be challenged. His so called skills can only impress the politically naive.
  • well sah!!! (30/06/2017, 07:18) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Ah weak!!!
  • WHO TO BLAME! (30/06/2017, 11:54) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply

    BLAME THE PERSON THAT MADE THE VIDEO FOR THE JOB! NOT JUST THE COMMITTEE FOR OVERSEEING THIS ERROR!

    • Hmmmmm (30/06/2017, 13:43) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
      Leaders take the blame when things go wrong, as they are ultimately responsible, and give praise to others when things go right, so they won't have trouble getting people to follow them next time, but my guess is y'all don't know anything about real leadership.
    • dry (30/06/2017, 14:01) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
      Video dry til from it have only 200 views. With video he downloaded from the net instead of he put shot on them girls.
  • Job hungry (30/06/2017, 14:05) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    That JACK boy brag about this job and that's the best he come up with? Video was so boring and then all those spelling errors along with using a video of someone else on the cat walk when there was so much beautiful BVI Ladies to be used for that promotion smh
  • Digging (30/06/2017, 16:22) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    There is only one MASTER photographer in the BVI and he should get this and every job related to photography because all the others is a waste of time.
  • wize up (30/06/2017, 16:59) Like (7) Dislike (1) Reply
    see what making the top news while murderers & mask men running around our villages.....
    • fyah ras (03/07/2017, 08:39) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Same thing I saying king. Nuff moo moo in this place. I wonder about our people some times.
  • spanish (30/06/2017, 21:42) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    A Spanish woman wrote that " British VI-RI-GIN "
  • qc (30/06/2017, 21:59) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    The problem of poor grammar is pervasive, throughout this government


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