Yesterday October 21, 2014 at the re-opening of lone technical school in the Territory, the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies (VISTS) Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn challenged the students there to show respect for their uniform. Photo: VINO

At the FTM session Hon Walwyn said he saw this as a matter for concern as he recalled personally seeing a fight between two High School girls on Facebook. He did not say what was done, if anything, in terms of them being disciplined, but had urged that they take pride in themselves and their uniforms as the repercussions can be far reaching. Photo: VINO

According to Hon Walwyn the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies is as much an opportunity for the Virgin Islands as it is for our students. “I want to tell the present students of this institution that you will play a very important role in the overall development of this institution and how our Territory will from this day on, view careers in the trade field. We have provided you with what might possibly be the best-equipped school in the Territory, but beyond the smart boards and iPads, students we need you to take your role seriously,” he said. Photo: VINO

The issue of showing respect for their school uniforms has been a continuous concern for many students in the school system who feel that they a few bad apples continue to spoil the image of the whole basket and this they had shared publicly at both of the youth forums recently held on Tortola and Virgin Gorda by the Rotary Club of Tortola and at the most recent ‘I am a lady’ workshop/seminar held by Follow the Movement (FTM). Photo: VINO

This occurs to the extent that fist and weapon fights involving students wearing their uniforms have been caught on camera and in lots of cases gone to the extent of being in the social media especially on Facebook.

Just recently this news site caught a very serious fight between two young men one of whom had two weapons, a big knife and a machete. According to reports no action seems to have been taken by the authorities despite the fact that the evidence was shared with several levels of authority.

Yesterday October 21, 2014 at the re-opening of lone technical school in the Territory, the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies (VISTS) Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn challenged the students there to show respect for their uniform.

“As you wear your uniform, go about your business in school, raise our flag in the mornings, and sing our Territorial song, - students, I want you to remember the journey from whence these Virgin Islands came and be proud to positively add to the story that is still being written about the people of the Virgin islands.  We expect nothing but the best from you all and I will be personally checking in on all of you to ensure that even within your lives you are creating a culture of excellence,” said Hon Walwyn.

He told them that the standards they set in this school year will guide the guiding light for the future of the school. “Now this is where the pressure is laid on thick. We have invested in you, and we are asking that you take your schoolwork seriously. We are asking that you set a standard of excellence in the way you act as students on and off campus, the quality of work that you produce and also the pride that you take in yourself as students and aspiring professionals,” he said.

According to Hon Walwyn the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies is as much an opportunity for the Virgin Islands as it is for our students. “I want to tell the present students of this institution that you will play a very important role in the overall development of this institution and how our Territory will from this day on, view careers in the trade field.  We have provided you with what might possibly be the best-equipped school in the Territory, but beyond the smart boards and iPads, students we need you to take your role seriously,” he said.

The issue of showing respect for their school uniforms has been a continuous concern for many students in the school system who feel that they a few bad apples continue to spoil the image of the whole basket and this they had shared publicly at both of the youth forums recently held on Tortola and Virgin Gorda by the Rotary Club of Tortola and at the most recent ‘I am a lady’ workshop/seminar held by Follow the Movement (FTM).

At the FTM session Hon Walwyn said he saw this as a matter for concern as he recalled personally seeing a fight between two High School girls on Facebook. He did not say what was done, if anything, in terms of them being disciplined, but had urged that they take pride in themselves and their uniforms as the repercussions can be far reaching.

At one of the Rotary Club of Road Town sessions some students expressed their disapproval of a blanket being thrown over the video recording of students fighting as they said in many instances it is not done for humiliation but rather to take to the authorities as evidence to allow for proper action to be taken against the defaulters.

“In that case they should not punish a person for taping fights,” one Virgin Gorda student had said.