Education Chief: Students Will Show Up When Connected To Learning

Chief Education Officer, Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, described this year’s School Attendance Jingle Competition as another creative and purposeful response to student absenteeism, one of the key concerns which the Ministry of Educational Transformation continues to address.

She expressed this view ahead of the finals of the competition last Friday at the St. Leonard’s Boys’ School.

“When students feel connected to their learning, when they recognise the relevance of school to their aspirations, and when they are encouraged and celebrated, they are far more likely to show up consistently, confidently, and with purpose,” she stated.

Dr. Archer-Bradshaw believes that while there are many factors like economic hardship and family responsibilities which contribute to absenteeism, interactions with students and parents have revealed a consistent theme, which is a lack of motivation.

She added that this year’s jingle competition aligns with Barbados’ ongoing efforts towards educational transformation as the Ministry ‘imagines the future of learning’.

The Chief shared: “Our goal is to create an education system that is fair, inclusive, relevant and modern…, an education system that has our students at the centre.  The School Attendance Jingle Competition reflects this vision, offering students a platform to express themselves, to be heard, and to connect with their education in meaningful ways.”

She also highlighted that the competition was created to raise awareness about attendance, but more importantly, to inspire action. She explained that music was chosen as the medium for the jingle competition because of its profound influence on young people.

“It motivates; it energizes; it connects and it engages you deeply on an emotional level. Through this competition, students were not only encouraged to listen to some music, but to be creators of music….

“These jingles are not just sounds that we want you to listen to, but there are messages of hope, responsibility, and pride.”

In his feature address, reigning Soca Monarch, Michael ‘Mikey’ Mercer, congratulated the students for their creativity and courage, commending them for their bravery in performing in front of a panel of judges.

Mr. Mercer stated that school attendance is important because it prepares students for adulthood, builds discipline, and creates a strong work ethic.

He encouraged the students to continue to do positive things and change the rhetoric of members of society, who speak negatively about the youth.

“We need to change that rhetoric because we have a tendency just to harp on the negatives…and there’s so much positive coming out of the youth of Barbados as well… and you guys are testament to this. “Just stay positive…. It will be hard sometimes but stay positive. Stay focused, and work hard…it is not [just] a cliché… it will pay off,” he urged. (PR/GIS)