20 Responses to “VI youths challenged to read as part of International Literacy Day 2023 campaign ”

• Manjack (07/09/2023, 18:00) Like (12) Dislike (3) Reply

  Readers are leaders. And the BVI must become a reading nation. Reading must be a 365/24/7 event, not just a single day or week event. Technology has made more resources available today than in previous years yet we are reading less. We read more with less resources; we had a central library. Today, it is shameful and embarrassing to not have a central library, even with a $400M operations and maintenance budget. There was an important reason for slave masters and colonialists deliberately keeping slaves , blacks, from reading, writing and doing basic arithmetic. They know knowledge was power and keeping them ignorant they were easy to control. Planned ignorance was part of the game plan.
  
  The colonialists built prisons, but no schools. There is an HMP but no His Majesty’s High School. Why? The VI was the last of the colonies to get secondary schools/education. And getting secondary education was a fight, a struggle. This guava crop of Virgin Islanders have forgotten how to struggle, fight. Rugged individualism has been lost. Frankly our current education system is a failure. Some will decry this; bring the receipts to show otherwise. Lowering the bar has been costly; too many graduates are functional illiterates. Yes, there are a few oasises in the education desert but there is no critical mass. The VI has to import labour to perform some basic tasks that Virgin Islanders should be easily doing. The BVI progress forward has to Bebe based on an educated people/workforce; we must drive full STEAM ahead. There is already a STEAM divide in the BVI. Why does the BVI always have to lag behind others? Why can’t we be at the tip of the spear? It us ride or die on education. Ride or die on the education hill. Other bloggers have mentioned Singapore economic success and the part education played. Its success is worthy of emulation. We sent people, a trade mission to Guyana. Perhaps Minister de Castro needs to lead an education mission to Singapore.
  • please (08/09/2023, 08:22) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply

    Can we please ensure that kids are also taught to write properly - I am feed up with employing young BVIslanders that can only write in the present tense, and don’t seem to have any concept of other tenses. And why does almost the whole population confuse the words ‘worse’ and ‘worst’?
  • @Manjack (08/09/2023, 11:50) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply

    @Manjack, indeed reading, writing and basic math are foundational, fundamental , etc. Upon graduation from high school, our students should be able to perform basic tasks; they don’t. Functional illiteracy is rampant, with completing an employment application a challenge. A bunch of duncy heads walking around thinking they are entitled to big jobs and cannot even grammatically complete a simple declarative sentence. Don’t even talk about complex, compound sentence. Virgin Islanders should have preferential opportunity for jobs in the BVI but only if they are qualified. Being born in the BVI does not automatically qualify you with first preference for jobs. Meeting minimum Qualifications, experience, etc are other factors. The shift from the industrial age to Information Age has occurred but once again we are behind the 8-ball. STEAM has roared ashore but we not ready.
  • True Virgin Islander (08/09/2023, 18:55) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply

    @Manjack, true Virgin Islanders build up, not tear down other Virgin Islanders. Tagging Virgin Islanders or residents as functional illiterates is tearing down, not building up. I’m sure you will call it tough love but I have a different view and take. Building is more rewarding than tearing down. This may shock you as double doublespeak but you made some good points.
    • @True Virgin Islander (09/09/2023, 14:26) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply

      @True Virgin Islander, you forget the derogatory “duncy” head. WTF!!
• Youth (07/09/2023, 18:17) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply

  Reading is key. It can take you from poverty to prosperity.
• Anonymous (07/09/2023, 18:44) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply

  I hope the education system and the ministry are putting together an emergency rescue package on reading and writing in our schools because it does not look good. Just ask employers of recent graduates
  • @Anonymous (07/09/2023, 20:19) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply

    Nothing in the BVI ever looks good to some of you. Some of you speak as if the BVI is the only place with these challenges as well as other challenges. These are now worldwide challenges. Stop putting down and do your part to help our youth become strong in their weak areas even if it is reading. Most of the BVI youth are good readers and excel academically and this is a known fact by any college & university abroad. Yes there are some who need to improve and we all must come together to do all we can to help them but stop trying to fool us as if it is the majority.
    • Pretending (08/09/2023, 07:11) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply

      @@Anonymous, pretending that a problem does not exist and all is well does not fix the problem. We put pride aside and fix the education problem with action, not hope, wishes, etc. Human capital is the BVI most important resource but the BVI is not getting the b st and most from it. We are lagging, not leading in education outcome. We are a bunch of duncy heads. This is why the “ Above Round Rock” mentality’ still persist , for it persists. Our chiren are a bunch of functional illiterates.
      • @ Pretending (10/09/2023, 06:23) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

        I’ m a Gen Z’er so can someone explain the “The Above Round Rock Mentality.” Thanks in advance-
        • Amateur Historian (10/09/2023, 09:23) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply

          @@Pretending/Gen z’er, The Virgin Islands was part of the Leeward Islands Federation which was headquartered in Antigua; Federation abolished/disbanded in 1956 and VI became a colony in 1960. Further, the VI was one of the last colonies to get a secondary school and secondary education. The attitude was that the VI was a small agrarian dot and didn’t need any higher level education to work ground and fish. The VI had to fight to get a senior school (1943? )and small secondary school (1947?)which was mostly for the elites( some of the historians can verify dates, ie, Dr. Angel Smith, Dr. Charles Wheatley, etc). That was when the VI people had fight ; they had that rugged individualism. Where has the fight gone? It clean gone; They got soft.
          
          Anyway, the highest education level that some of the VI students who got to go school was a prized 7th Standard Certificate. As such, the Leeward islands Federation despatched administrative personnel, ie, policemen, teachers, customs, public works, etc to the Virgin Islands. Most of the people despatched came in from above Round Rock. Consequently, friction erupted between the people who came in from above Round Rock and locals.
          
          Specifically, some of the people who came in from above Round Rock let the locals know in no uncertain terms that they were sent to the BVI because locals were not capable mentally to the jobs, creating lingering resentment. In time, the phrase, “you think I cum from above Round Rock” took root, meaning I’m a true Virgin Islander.
          • Gen Z’er (10/09/2023, 14:55) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply

            @Amateur Historian, this was an interesting post. Did the the following excerpt mean that everyone did not have the opportunity to go to secondary?: “ Anyway, the highest education level that some of the VI students who got to go school was a prized 7th Standard Certificate.” If so how were people selected to go to
            School? Why was the Leeward Island Federation so reluctant approving secondary education for the BVI? Is this delay a factor in the BVI lagging the other islands? Where was the high school before ESHS? Are there any pics and was ESHS built and open? Who was Scott? So many questions; I’m inspire to find information and read more.
• my2cents (07/09/2023, 19:00) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply

  They should always read anyway so they don't be dunce like the people they see everyday
• bvibuzz (07/09/2023, 19:22) Like (3) Dislike (3) Reply

  Read read read read read something legislators need to do before they past any bills
  • @BviBuzz (07/09/2023, 20:21) Like (2) Dislike (3) Reply

    They read just fine that is why they spot the trap words meant to enslave the BVI in the loan guarantee agreement from the UK and wisely did not sign.
• What a set (07/09/2023, 20:24) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply

  Reading this story is such an encouraging story but as usual once it is the people of the BVI doing or saying positive and encouraging things it is always a problem for some of you but when persons made comments about the Governor honoring the nice wel deserving young man for taking care of animals some of you were highly upset about the critique of the lack of the Governor's interest in the people of the BVI who do many more meaningful positive works.
• resident (08/09/2023, 08:34) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply

  I weep for our generation many of them can't think for themselves and are easily led astray by friends, social media and others
• Teacher (09/09/2023, 14:34) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

  Not only read but our students need to prove that they can research and analyse information to identify the relevant points and articulate them in a clear and concise manner.
• E.Leonard (09/09/2023, 20:49) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply

  Aristotle?: “We are what we repeatedly do .Excellence then, is not act , but a habit.” Former US President Harry S. Truman:” Not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers.” Wisdom is learning from others.Reading is foundational, fundamental, etc. Reading provides knowledge, understanding, national growth and development, etc. Read, read, read, and enjoy the joy, privilege, and benefits of reading.
  • @E. Leonard (10/09/2023, 06:56) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply

    @E. Leonard, oh the joy, pleasure, blessings, etc, are unmatched. It is unimaginable not being able to read, going to a quiet corner with a good book, cellphone, iPad, laptop, etc. It is unimaginable not being able to read a text from family members, friends, Bible and other religious books, etc. The ability to read, understand what we read, use what we read, etc is priceless. At one time, our forebears were legally and forcefully forbidden from learning how to read m, write and do figures, and it was against the law for anyone to teach them how to read and write. We should be reading up a storm. One of whites greatest grievance is Black progression, for it exposes the centuries old lie about the mental inferiority of Blacks. Black progression challenges whites racial superiority, unearned special privileges, entitlements, etc. claims. Sadly, some apologists, Sambos, etc are afflicted with the Stockholm syndrome, accepting the BIG lie. Reading is fundamental to punching Swiss cheese holes in the Big lie. We need to stop playing and being appeasers , Benedict Arnolds and be proud of who we are and read, read, read. etc. My writing hopeful will not make some sin their souls this blessed Sunday morning. But I cannot make you any promises, for that is on them. The truth is truth and hurts.