Education Minister Myron V. Walwyn announced that a special exam will be introduced for 'differently-abled' students sometime this year. Photo: VINO

At a community meeting in Sea Cows Bay on April 30, 2013 Hon Walwyn said, “I’ve asked the Chief Education Officer to go through the system and see who those students are that we know have mental difficulties and to create a special, modified exam… so that will be done certainly this year.”

Following a report which indicated that education standards were not competitive, the grading system was changed to improve standards in all of the Territory’s schools, according to Hon. Walwyn.

The Education Minister also noted that students were having a difficult time adjusting to standards in higher education.

Hon. Walwyn said his Ministry is seeking to implement a remedial programme within schools from Forms 1-3, beginning with the next school year. Through the new programme, students with less than a C+ in Math or English will be required to do remedial classes to bring their grades up. He added that other subjects would be looked at subsequently.

Reflecting on the dearth of locals within the financial and tourism sectors, he said, “To improve the immediate knowledge of the subjects that are most important to our economy, we are now teaching Financial Services in our schools.”

According to the Minister, this facilitated an early introduction to the main industries in the Virgin Islands for students in the Territory. “We believe that our people, among other things, are not rising to the top in these industries,” he said.

The Education Minister felt that an early introduction, particularly with tourism, would allow more locals to find career opportunities within these fields. “Presently,” he said, “both fields are dominated by expatriates and those two fields in particular, are too important to the economy of this country not to be led by our own citizens.”

He also indicated that school management boards would be introduced at the Althea Scatliffe Primary School, Elmore Stoutt High School, the Claudia Creque Educational Centre as well as the Primary and Secondary Schools at the Bregado Flax Educational Centre from the next school year.

“We would be calling on members of the community to sit on these boards and we would be grateful for your assistance,” the Education Minister said.

During a sitting of the House of Assembly on April 4, 2013 Hon. Walwyn said the boards will examine and investigate student progress, discipline of students, ensure school records are kept, establish a procedure for resolving disputes, approve school plans and establish policies for the administration, management and operation of the school among other things.