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'Where are we going wrong with our males in this territory?'- Cecily Malone

- calls on parents to be positive role models for growing children
Minister for Education, Culture, Agriculture, Fisheries, Sports, and Youth Affairs, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), 2nd from left, presents the Beauty with a Purpose Philanthropic Award to retired early childhood educator Ms Cecily Malone. Left is young entrepreneur and humanitarian Allington O. Creque aka ‘Gumption’. Photo: VINO
Minister for Education, Culture, Agriculture, Fisheries, Sports, and Youth Affairs, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), 2nd from left, presents the Beauty with a Purpose Philanthropic Award to retired early childhood educator Ms Cecily Malone. Left is young entrepreneur and humanitarian Allington O. Creque aka ‘Gumption’. Photo: VINO
2019 graduates of the Alternative Secondary Education Programme. Left is Premier and Minister of Finance Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1). Sitting second from left is Minister for Education, Culture, youth Affairs, Agriculture and Fisheries Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7). Second from right is Ms Cecily Malone. Photo: GIS
2019 graduates of the Alternative Secondary Education Programme. Left is Premier and Minister of Finance Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1). Sitting second from left is Minister for Education, Culture, youth Affairs, Agriculture and Fisheries Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7). Second from right is Ms Cecily Malone. Photo: GIS
SCRUB ISLAND, VI - Coordinator of the Alternative Secondary Education Programme, Ms Cecily Malone, has expressed concern with the large numbers of young men who are flunking the programme.

Ms Malone was presented with the Outstanding Philanthropy Award by the Miss World BVI Organisation at the 2019 Miss World BVI Premier’s Beauty with a Purpose Philanthropic Award and Coronation Dinner held at Scrub Island on Saturday, August 31, 2019.

There she took the few minutes afforded her for response to speak on the troubling issue. “What I am doing now is helping students who did not get a secondary education and those students, especially our males, I am saddened to see what is happening to them. I am wondering where are we going wrong with our males in this territory?”

Ms Malone explained that too many males go to the Alternative Secondary Education Programme but, “They do not remain. I don’t know why, we tried everything that we can.”

She said last term she wrote a proposal for a programme especially for males and hope it can be implemented to "see if we can save some of our male students.”

She alluded to the male as being the seed of the territory and without them having a sound development, “What is going to happen in our community? Those are the things that bother me as a early childhood educator.”

Who are children imitating?

On another note, she said she loves watching little children grow and become what they would like to be. “Too many times we force them to become what they do not want to become and that is when they do not perform.”

She stressed further, “If we allow them to grow and develop as they would like to develop we would have beautiful people in the world.”

According to Ms Malone, although technology is now a big part of life today, she remains worried about it, “Young children learn from observing adults, imitating adults, using their environment to learn, using the people around them to learn.”

“I am saddened when I see so many little children have a device in their hand. What do we expect of them? I do not know but we need to think about it and think about our children’s development. Who are they imitating? Is it the caregiver in the day care centre or is it their parents? They need to imitate positive people and observe positive things and then we would have a much better world,” Ms Malone reasoned.

Present to congratulate Ms Malone, on behalf of Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1), was  Minister for Education, Culture, youth Affairs, Agriculture and Fisheries Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), who alluded to her close relationship with Premier Fahie. “I know you enjoy a very special relationship with Honourable Andrew Fahie especially as he started the Alternative Secondary Education Programme and appointed you to lead that.”

The Education Minister congratulated Ms Malone for having done an excellent job with the programme.

12 Responses to “'Where are we going wrong with our males in this territory?'- Cecily Malone”

  • simple (16/09/2019, 17:29) Like (17) Dislike (1) Reply
    Bad parents. There is a thin line between love of child and the right thing. Most parents choose love of child over the right thing... That's where we at where we at.
  • BE VI (16/09/2019, 17:42) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    The BVI is going wrong be accepting that )oh their just children; they’re just having fun. That attitude we have for today’s children is leading towards major problems. However with Gods grace we haven’t lost of community as yet; it’s it’s that we highlight a lot of the bad youths
  • parents (16/09/2019, 18:26) Like (12) Dislike (0) Reply
    mis Malone ask who they are imitating well some of our young male have role models who are singing vulgar and indecent song they have speakers on & you hear the songs when you walk by the students some of the school girls in it as well
  • watch (16/09/2019, 19:14) Like (22) Dislike (0) Reply
    No consequences for bad behavior . We make excuses for everything . No discipline at home no law enforcement on the street . Underaged unliscensed helmetless scooter riders speeding from school . ..police just watch . Just one example . Clamp down on the small things or they might grow into large things . Teach respect of women ... very little exists in our country ...
    • WHAT!!! (16/09/2019, 21:45) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      “Watch” you are so right if some police would go to where the school is at the end of day they could fill the government coffers with fines for no helmets, no license, loud mufflers .
  • SMH#1 (16/09/2019, 19:39) Like (22) Dislike (0) Reply
    Where we are going wrong is when a child who is two or three years old, throws their selves on the floor because they didn't get what they wanted and the parents think it is cute. From that point we are going wrong.
  • Back to Basics (17/09/2019, 02:11) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    Much can be learnt by careful study of Psalm 27:4

    Just as an archer points his arrow to an intended target so should a parent direct a child to his/her purpose. Archers shape their arrows. Parents must likewise shape their children. Sticks are found , arrows are shaped. The value of a patent's influence on a child's life is invaluably great.
  • Back to Basics (17/09/2019, 02:16) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Correction: I apologize for the typo. That would be psalm 127:4 which reads: " As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth."
  • yardie (17/09/2019, 02:25) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    We went wrong when we took high science and alternative religious studies out of schools.
  • years later (17/09/2019, 08:31) Like (6) Dislike (2) Reply
    Where are we going wrong?

    How about when we started sending them to schools without libraries, & art programs?
    How about when we started telling them to go pick up a book, when we dont read ourselves?
    How about when we started projecting that the only book they need is a school book?

    How about when we started projecting our idea of criminal upon them?
    How about when we started treating them as outcast when they become what we imagined them to be?
    How about when we started treating hands on skills as lower class?

    How about when we started pushing jobs where people get paid very little to live un-authenically to their nature?
    How about when we started showing them they cant afford to rent without a roommate or girlfriend?
    How about when we started displaying the way in which friends not family will support you?

    Sugar spice and everything nice. Frogs snails and puppy dog tails. Where did we go wrong?

    Take mental licks year round for 17k if you are lucky.

    Those guys flunking out of school need to be empowered to create a niche which they enjoy, besides driving trucks, something they can take pride in, besides being our future criminals.

    They need some help because there is a lot of anger keeping the young people down.

    Western music & culture isnt helping, lead them on to visual arts, lead them on to helping tourist enjoy their stay, update farming, update fishing, update the hemp laws, update our sense of morals.
  • ray (17/09/2019, 12:26) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    its an easy question to answer-- no father's at home, momy cant raise a boy to.be a man.
  • Peaches (17/09/2019, 13:57) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    Where are we going wrong with our males? when we have young and old women dressing half naked; breasts out, and all other parts out in front of them.


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