Stubborn Walwyn throws deaf ear on 6th Form critics
While on the programme, Hon Walwyn made it clear that he was not prepared to hold back on plans for the commencement of the additional school year even though there is no new building constructed to house the students as was previously promised.
“But I don’t think that because we hit a snag in the road that we should just abandon our plans,” said Hon Walwyn. “And it’s not about me it’s about making sure that the students have the best chance for success and that’s what we are trying to do.”
The embattled minister said his ministry has been planning the additional year for quite a while. “We have developed a very good programme and I don’t think that many persons can dispute the quality of what we are trying to bring in terms of instructions and programmes and opportunities for learning for students,” he said.
Stating that it’s “unfortunate” that the budget passed a bit late this year, he said this led to some financial strains and delayed their plans for the buildings.
Sixth Form being ‘rushed’
On several occasions that were afforded, parents, students and concerned persons of the community have blasted the minister for “rushing” the Sixth Form Programme and have been calling on him to revert to the previous system and allow the students to go ahead with graduation after five years in High School.
Critics include First District Representative and former Education Minister Hon Andrew A. Fahie, radio show host, former political candidate and college lecturer Mr Natalio D. Wheatley and former school teacher, businesswoman and former political candidate Sharie B. Y. de Castro.
Hon Fahie blasted Hon Walwyn for being able to spend $1M on a wall around the Elmore Stoutt High School just prior to the 2015 general elections but being unable to find money to build classrooms to accommodate the Sixth Form students.
Mr Wheatley said Hon Walwyn was "out of touch" with the education sector while Ms de Castro said “unfortunately the Sixth Form was rushed…it was never thought through properly.”
Those criticisms, along with many others, seem to have fallen on deaf ears or met with no remorse from the minister as he made it clear on June 23, 2016 that he was going ahead with the additional year come the start of the new school year.
It’s not about buildings
“The strength of an institution does not lie entirely in the buildings. Yes, they must have an environment that is conducive to learning,” stressed Hon Walwyn.
He went on to recall his years at school when he used to learn under mango trees, “…and I don’t think that we should get our thoughts so confined that if we don’t have a comfortable building or there isn’t a building at the school that we should abandon our plans.”
Sixth Form students will be housed at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) in Paraquita Bay from the new school year.
“The fact that we did not have a graduation this year provided a very good opportunity for us to partner more, get a bit closer with the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, since the college would have been undersubscribed they would have only had their second year students and part time students in the evening but the lecturers and so forth would have still been there and so on. And so it provided an opportunity for us to be able to, rather than delaying our plans to allow the students to be housed at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College,” said Minister Walwyn.
He added that a group consisting of persons from his ministry, the secondary school system and the college were put together to work out the logistics.
“They presented a plan to me I am very pleased and I am very grateful for what they have done and we are going to make sure that these students have an environment that is conducive to learning, that they are secured, that they are transported and protected from point A to point B at the expense of the government.”
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44 Responses to “Stubborn Walwyn throws deaf ear on 6th Form critics”
“Power Corrupts, and Absolute Power Corrupts, Absolutely.” Keep pushing this selfish ambition for power while using our children as political pawns in this plan. IMO: We in no way, shape, or form want this one to be our Premier- not now, nor ever. And by the way, the only ones will be asking this one to take off their shades if this one ever visit them- is scotia bank- so they can see this one clearly in order to take a mug-shot. Try smoking that for a definite educational change.
Imagine if this dic***r becomes Premier we doom!!!
These children who have gotten to the end of their secondary school term and now being told about another year should line-up all the teachers, from primary school to present, along with their parents, and each child should chastise every single one of you- from the beginning of the line to the end- for FAILING them through all these years. Seriously, where is the genuine LOVE, CARE AND ATTENTION for our children really being placed? Our children should be soaring with the fundamentals throughout secondary schools.
Trying to fix the problem at this point, where we have failed throughout the early stages in their development, is again, misplaced attention.
Stop using these children as collateral damage. The teachers, parents, and these ministerial leaders are the ones who are the collateral damage.
Accept responsible for you’ll failures, graduate the children (allow them the option to decide how they will correct you'll errors imposed on them moving forward), start afresh, and gradually redesign the entire education system of the Virgin Islands. Highly important- Three (3) years as this minister so obstinately expressed in his team’s efforts toward fixing this problem, is no time in the big scheme of things to redesign and implement a winning educational system.
Get some sense. What graduate from the Elmore stoutt high school reads at 5th grade level? Is it those graduates who have gotten top in English in the Caribbean on their CXCs? Please sit down. You're probably one of those NDP supporters who put an x by all the candidates' name because you're gullible just like the rest of the populace.
Furthermore, did we notice that one of his reasons for the additional year was "maturity" at college level.. Yet he's sending the same high schoolers at hlscc because his plans pertaining to the new building failed?
Thousands of dollars spent on eshs walls to "protect" our students .. But hlscc is an open campus.
I can go on and on.. But I say graduate them now.. It's not too late.. #JULY
ONLY IF THIS GOOD MINISTER WOULD ONLY LISTEN HE COULD BE A GREAT PERSON, BUT HOW CAN HE BE GRATE IF HE DO NOT INTEND TO LISTEN. WE ARE PLAYING WITH THE LIVES OF OUR YOUND PEOPLE.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW TO ORGANIZE AND PLAN BEFORE ONE TRY TO IMPLEMENT STUFF THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
OUR STUDENTS NOW SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO STAY IN SCHOOL AN EXTRA YEAR. THE STUDENTS FROM LAST YEAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE STUDENTS COMING IN UNDER THIS NEED POLICY THAT THE CLEVER MINISTER CAME UP WITH. LIKE EVERYONE ONE ELSE THESE STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE REMAINED IN PRIMARY SCHOOL WHERE THEY WERE STRUCTURED.
WE NEED TO HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE TO GOVERN OUR STUDENTS SO THEY ARE NOT TAKEN FOR GRANTED. HOW DO YOU THINK THESE SAME STUDENTS ARE GOING TO FEEL AMOUNG THEIR PEERS FROM ST. GEORGES AND SEVENTH DAY SCHOOL AT HLSCC. SAME AGE STUDENTS SOME IN COLLEGE WHILE THE OTHERS ARE TRYING TO FINISH UP THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION.
The idea of advanced studies only came up because persons started to ask what about those students who could cover the work in five years. What would we do with them. That was how the discussion about CAPE came up. So the truth is we are going about this initiative in a very haphazard manner. Proper studies should have been conducted and enough time allocated to make sure everything is in place including qualified and experienced teachers to teach the children at the advanced level. As it is now, both children and teachers will be trying to find their way in the dark and hoping for the best.
I think the Minister wants the best for our children but I think with something as critical as this you can't rush it. You need time. I would also advise him to get rid of some of the persons who are advising him because they are not being truthful. They are stifling their conscience and plowing ahead with a programme that is full of flaws. If we want to strengthen our education system, we should re-examine the OECS study that recommended that we place the additional year in the primary system. At least that would cut down on the number of children entering high school who can't read, can't write, can't spell, can't add, can't multiply etc.
Like every where else in the Caribbean also, 6th form should be optional. Not everyone can handle advanced studies and it's not necessary if you don't intend to go on to pursue further studies within the discipline at University.
I would suggest also, that we do like what most other Caribbean countries do. Those students who want to go on to pursue advanced studies, let them do so at the Community College. That is one of the reasons they were established.
This would also take some of the pressure off the already overcrowded, volatile resource-poor high school where teachers and security officers struggle daily to maintain discipline.
A student who cannot function at the primary school level will certainly have difficulties in the secondary level. Mr Premier please intervene and resolve the problems in ministry of education in the best intrest of the students, parents and the British Virgin Islands. Even if it requires the reshuffling of the ministers and save our children, Mr Premier do not fall asleep at the wheel. The cruise ship pier was disaster now it is the education ministry.
"Don't reason with them Myron, do what you have to do"
Done, do you realize that education affects everybody so you can't just have one person calling the shots. You need to listen to the parents, the children and the teachers especially.
His mentioning of them just showed to prove that, even with them there within the system, they by themselves could not rectified and improved upon the challenges we are faced with in our education system up to this present day. This is because- ALL LIVES MATTER, and as such, all perspectives/stakeholders should be appreciated and looked at equally around the educational table.
Furthermore, not because he informed Anegada and Jost Van Dyke does not mean he fully engaged them or connected. This should not be a dictatorship,’ and even more dangerous is that- “information dissimulation” has to be looked at thoroughly and challenged before the facts can be deciphered. This can not, should not, be one-way or the highway.
Let's see how stakeholders feel about the issue.
Truth be told, this additional year is likely to fail just like how the stop light at the roundabout fail because we fail to listen to the voice of reason. More than half million dollar was wasted because Frazer was too big to listen. This time much more is going down the drain.
How can one extra year at high school make a difference when so many children are coming to us unable to even read. As it is right now, teachers have to be reading for grades 7, 8 & 9 students. This is a reflection of what is happening in the homes and at the primary level.
As it is we made the wrong diagnosis so the treatment is unlikely to work. Mark my words. The problem was not that the students needed an additional year of high school and actually, we have many there who have already spent many additional years and their performance and behavior couldn't be worse.