'Remove Hon Walwyn as Education Minister' - Claude O. Skelton-Cline
On the Tuesday March 6, 2018 airing of his show, Honestly Speaking, on ZBVI 780 AM, Mr Skelton-Cline suggested the move, saying, “I would move the Minister of Education and Culture, I would take that portfolio from him.”
The former Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) went on to explain that “Every opportunity, more often than not, that the Minister of Education has gotten to undress the Premier in public, he has done so. Yesterday at the celebration of the Honourable Lavity Stoutt, he’s up there waxed and eloquent about the policies of Immigration and the state of Agriculture. He went after the head of Government, the Premier and the second in command.”
The Immigration Department, which falls under the portfolio of Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith (AL), is presently going through a transformation and polices and practices continue to be added or altered.
Agriculture, on the other hand, is spearheaded by the Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Dr The Hon Kedrick D. Pickering (R7), who has been criticised many times before for not making full use of the territory’s agricultural potential.
Both departments were addressed by Minister Walwyn in his speech at the H. Lavity Stoutt commemoration at West End Cemetery at Capoon's Bay, Tortola on March 5, 2018. Honourable Walwyn is known for chastising other Members when he thinks they are out of place, as was the case when he hit back at Hon Melvin M, Turnbull (R2) for speaking up against Premier Smith while in the House of Assembly in December 2017.
“How could this be possible? How could you be carrying my portfolio and I allow you to speak on a sustained basis out of turn? That portfolio needs to be pulled. Mitch, Marlon [A. Penn], someone else needs to be placed in that position,” exclaimed Mr Skelton-Cline.
Out of turn?
In his speech, Honourable Walwyn, who reportedly is gunning for the Premiership ahead of Dr Pickering, stated that “Labour and Immigration policies that work in accordance with our plan for future development must be put in place and enforced for us to continue on our path towards restoration of these islands.”
He continued to explain that the Agriculture of the Territory is not where it used to be and suggested that the food crisis that was faced in the aftermath of the hurricanes of 2017 would’ve been less if we were growing more of our own food.
Minister Walwyn further added: “HL would’ve actively pursued various ways to get persons to once again recognise the importance of Agriculture and starting their own gardens, and this is something that I dare say that we must all now endeavour to do."
The wall
After the snap election of 2015 when Premier Smith told the public the cost of a wall erected around the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS), Hon Walwyn went on radio to contradict his leader, claiming Dr Smith had provided wrong information to the public and that his Ministry showed a smaller figure. He also said the work done included a project on Virgin Gorda.
Months later, the controversial Minister admitted that the Minister of Finance's figures were correct. The project is currently under investigation, as ordered by former Governor John S. Duncan OBE.
It was also in November 2017 that Hon Walwyn told a local publication that he was willing to take a 50% pay cut as the Territory recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Irma and had challenged all legislators to do the same.
His challenge came under scrutiny by Mr Skelton-Cline on his Honestly Speaking show on November 7, 2017.
“I find that interesting for two reasons, one, he is not the Minister of Finance and he is not the Premier and it seems to me that it is a discussion that could have been or should have been had among colleagues and they come out together, in terms of directing and showing leadership,” Hon Skelton-Cline stated.
'Call an elections now if not in control'
In a final appeal to the Premier on March 6, 2018, Mr Skelton-Cline said, “Sir, with all due respect, if you cannot control your government, you need to take a walk down to the white house and ask them to take us back to the polls.”
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54 Responses to “'Remove Hon Walwyn as Education Minister' - Claude O. Skelton-Cline”
At the end of the day CXC is only good if one wants to go to school at UWI, no other institution gives a rats behind about it.
The KEY here is " Minister of Education and "CULTURE".It is the general believe, that the Minister in charge of this prestigious ministry (ESPECIALLY CULTURE) should be an indigenous B.V Islander. Walwyn and others who were born here with at least a parent from somewhere else...in this case Antigua, does not fall into this category. if there is any truth that Minister Walwyn is aiming to be Deputy or the Premier, this is his biggest obstacle.
when you had your turn you get a beaten. now you throwing stones, like the old saying smoke that one up your pipe cline. the honourable man is not speaking out of turn. he telling the truth and you fail is there...
Every country in this world is made up of different nationality, cus where i'm from it have more expats than locals and everybody is living like families....its time for us to wake up....the days the times the months are getting shorter and shorter oh God help us....
We tried to have these comments published on other news sites toward articles praising the minister of education by external entities, but for some reason, they have not been posted.
Hopefully, VINO will post these necessary comments to add to the dialog and discourse on Education in our country.
These comments are neither for, nor against, the minister of education, but rather toward suggesting to all with positions of influence to tread lightly with any political tactics in our education system when it comes to the harvesting of the minds of our young ones for the future.
Listen…and Listen Good. Yes. Some Educators who work tirelessly toward trying to improve our Educational system should be acknowledged and supported generously for their research and work they have putted in. However, when we have these external entities praising any politician, it becomes highly "suspected."
Of course, Mr. Jules and the others of late, who have been blowing their trumpets lauding the initiative, have a reason to do so. “Optimizing BVI engagement” for this initiative is in essence- optimizing Caribbean Examination Council causes and revenue agenda, of which they are apart. So quite naturally- “gasing-up” the "piper" is highly encouraged to keep their ultimate agenda flowing.
If it was being done for free, the praises would be few and far apart, if any.
Capitalism always has a funny way of encouraging direct praises to those who have direct influence or control of the purse strings, especially when it is being easily subsidized by hard-earned taxpayers’ dollars.
Yes. It is a possible start that only the future can predict, but Pleaseeee!!! All of you'll politicians in education and otherwise throughout the Caribbean- Pleaseeee- Stop playing politics with our children’s education for you’ll personal agendas.
If we are teaching our children to fully “adopt” (different from adapt) to these standardized tests, let us hope they are not being conditioned and robotized in the process just towards test taking; and as a consequence, if so, there again, they turned out to be still not capable of thinking deeply, critically and holistically for themselves as individuals, with independent minds.
If we are truly serious about developing a healthy country- moving forward, we do not need any more clone-like mentalities, nor puppets, who have been conditioned to just accept the status-quo without challenging its authenticity.
We are advocates for a more Multiple Intelligence Foundation.
So, we repeat- Stop playing politics with our children’s education. And this goes for all the manipulators in high and low positions of influence throughout the Entire Caribbean Diaspora.
Serious Times Call For Serious Awakening of Our People.
I couldn't get pass " work and research they have putted in..... "
That is the sad mentality of this place.. I am not a great fan of the NDP, simply because they failed us during the most critical time in the history of this territory but if we as a people are honest with ourselves and put aside our own selfish agendas we will admit that the Hon. Myron Walwyn was the only minister who rose to the occassion to get his area back up and running in short order despite the challenges. Is he perfect? No but he works his a** off to improve education and we should be supporting him 100% not trying to pull him down. I will vote for him to be the next Premier because he has potential and that counts in my book.