Nevis Education Minister Amory discusses way forward for island’s education system

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (JULY 24, 2013) — Premier of Nevis and Minister of Education Hon. Vance Amory and Principal Education Officer Mrs. Lornette Queeley-Connor began discussions with a view to refocus the island’s education system and to determine and make critical adjustments ahead of the new school year in September.

In a brief statement nearing the end of the meeting at his Bath Hotel office on July 23, 2013, Mr. Amory told the Department of Information why the discussion and adjustments were necessary.

“Today I have been discussing with Permanent Secretary of Education Mrs. Connor the school year that has gone, so that we could get a sense of what we have accomplished in the school year, whether the objectives which have been set were met and where possible to do an evaluation of the system.

“I think it has to be done because I believe if we do not do these assessments, then we are unable to determine whether we have achieved what we have set out to achieve as an Administration in our Education System and also out of that evaluation, to determine what adjustments we have to make to ensure that we get the best for our children,” he said.

The Education Minister disclosed that he had requested of Mrs. Queeley-Connor to look at staffing, school principals and how they had been managing the institutions they had been charged with and also to look into the other co-curricular activities with the intention of establishing a new focus.

“The objective here is to establish a new focus, I think I have spoken about that before on seeking through education and the school system, which I think is critical to our human development, to set up and establish a gentler society, a more harmonious society using the school – our teaching staff, our Heads as the catalysts for this transformation of our society,” he said.

Mr. Amory also used the opportunity to announce that former Principal Education Officer Mrs. Jennifer Hodge would also assist in the evaluation process.

“I appointed Mrs. Jennifer Hodge who served as PEO for some time, to assist in the evaluation of what has gone on. We gave her a pretty broad scope of reference to talk with Mrs. Connor, the Education Officers, Heads, teachers, anyone involved in the system to see what they would like to see changed, what they would like to see developed…This is not something that we imposed from myself as Minister from the Administration. This is a total effort which we want to have guide the process of refocusing our education.

“There is the matter of the dress code which has not been finalised. There is the matter of how do we get our sports programme, our music programme, those finer and non-academic aspects of our education to become truly embraced by our children and by the parents and see them as part of the development of our children, so that they can become better citizens. I think that is something that I would like to see and I think the country would benefit from,” he said.