Education

Whole-Of-Country Approach Needed To Address Violence In Schools

There are many layers to the challenge of violence in schools, and it will take the efforts of everyone working together in a ‘whole-of-country’ approach to overcome.

Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Kay McConney, stated this in a recorded address to the nation, over the weekend.

Noting that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, she said her Ministry recognises that partnership with the village is crucial, and more support is needed to provide children, teachers, and parents with the support they need.

“There is concern about violent acts which have happened in some of our schools recently. Members of the public are feeling worried for the safety of our children and worried about violent behaviour in the wider society that is making its way into the school environment,” she stated.

According to Minister McConney, children live what they learn and they bring to school some of what they learn even outside of school – the good and the bad.

She added that while school must first and foremost focus on delivering quality education that caters to all, the Ministry cannot get away in these times from being increasingly vigilant, and placing greater emphasis on safety and security.

She said weapons do not belong in the hands of children, but revealed that there are instances where children admitted that they were encouraged by an adult to carry a knife or a scissors to school for protection.

The Education Minister further stated that fighting must not be the first option for resolving conflict, simply because some of children have not yet learnt how to cope when they get angry. As a result, a boiling point has been reached, where bad behaviour is bubbling over into learning time, creating far too many disruptions at the primary and secondary levels.

She disclosed that the Ministry of Education had partnered with others over the last four to five years to ‘ramp up’ the number of qualified persons in the Ministry’s Student Services Unit, which deals with psychological and social support to students, parents, teachers, and guardians.

“What we did is, we have recognised it is not just about dealing with violent behaviour at the beginning, but it is also about us giving the necessary support as our students seek to cope… The many layers that education touches means that we must continue to work collaboratively with each other in what I call an ‘all-as-one’ effort,” she said.

Ms. McConney mentioned that some strong school leaders/principals have taken a firm stance on discipline and have been able to rein in bad behaviour and successfully manage the level of disruptive incidents at their schools. She added that the same effort needs to be replicated across the [school] system.

In reference to numbers received from within the Ministry, she said less than one per cent of the total school population, approximately 300 plus children, in a school system that has just below 40,000, nearly 37,000, are the ones giving trouble. Minister McConney added that while this percentage may seem relatively small, it is still too much.

She pointed out that while every secondary school has some form of security, it needs to be strengthened not only in the numbers of the security personnel, but in proper planning, risk management, training in best practices, and in the use of appropriate equipment suited for school environments.

Similarly, in primary, nursery and special education schools, a security audit conducted by the Ministry showed that just over half have an appropriate level of security in personnel, cameras, systems of practice and equipment.

While admitting that there is much work that needs to be done regarding the physical security of schools, Ms. McConney said the Ministry had conducted security audits of schools and a draft National School Security and Safety Policy had been prepared and was now being finalised, thanks to the support of a wide-ranging coalition of partners.

This coalition comprises representatives from the Barbados Defence Force, The Barbados Police Service, the Defence and Security Division, the Barbados Fire Service, the unions associated with the school system, the National Student Council, the National Council of Parent Teacher Associations, and the Ministry of Education. (PR/GIS)

Education

‘Pave Your Path’ Getting Youth Ready For World Of Work

For close to 177 years, the National Library Service (NLS) has been fulfilling its mandate of serving the Barbadian community as a ready source of information products and services.

Many adults can share memories of their youth while at a branch of the NLS and being caught up in the pages of their favourite book, or a magazine on cooking or craft.

In recent times, the NLS has broadened its scope by offering training programmes to assist young children and adults in improving their literacy and other skills geared towards the workforce.

One such initiative was the recent Pave Your Path Summer Programme for Job Seekers, held at the Tamarind Hall Branch in the Eric Holder Junior Municipal Complex, St. Joseph, for young people ages 16 and over. This was a first for the NLS.

Participant Juliana Marshall receiving a token from Sandra Reifer-Wallerson, Senior Manager of Retail Banking at Republic Bank.

Participants were taught business etiquette, how to write a Curriculum Vitae and Cover letter, prepare for a job interview, and communicate at work. There was also a session on opening a bank account and financial literacy.

Officer in Charge of the Tamarind Hall Branch, Astrid Mayers, who conceptualised the programme, spoke about its significance to a team from the Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), who journeyed there to capture the students in action.

“I know that there are other governmental organisations that do something similar, but I feel like the library, in recent times, needs to pivot from just books and reading and studying, to educating the public. In other words, emphasis should be placed on more than just book learning but on life learning…. So, teaching people how to do a CV to enter the world of work…is something that people need to know how to do.”Officer in Charge of the Tamarind Hall Branch, Astrid Mayers

She stated: “Usually the library does summer programmes, but it is targeted towards children, five to 15. What I have noticed is that this branch, in particular, does not have a lot of juvenile patronage. But more importantly, I have found that a lot of people who come in to get their CVs printed, or they come in to do a CV, genuinely don’t know what to do.

Most outstanding participant, Erica Carrington, receiving a token from Senior Manager of Retail Banking at Republic Bank, Sandra Wallerson-Reifer

“After a few years of seeing that and just being like ‘this is not what this is supposed to look like’, I thought to myself, you know what? I have the freedom now that I am here at [Tamarind Hall], to have a programme and target it to who I want to target it to. So, I pivoted from the juveniles to the young adults.”

Ms. Mayers continued: “So, I thought ‘if they are doing CV’s what else would they need to know?’ So, I thought that I’d let them also figure out how to do interviews. When you go to an interview, from my experience, there’s always that question at the end where they ask if you have any questions? I always think, ‘what is this person talking about?’ So, I decided that I will also include that.”

The NLS branch officer noted that a chance conversation with one of the facilitators, Ms. Shirley Morris, unearthed additional elements that could be added to the programme.

“When I spoke to my facilitator, Ms. Shirley Morris, she told me about including soft skills, and we also know that financial literacy is a major talking point now. So, we reached out to the bank [Republic Bank] and asked them to have a chat with participants about opening their first bank account, using a credit card…. They were willing to come out and speak with us.”

Ms. Mayers said participants were enthusiastic to be a part of the programme and were grateful for the knowledge gained from the facilitators.

“I know that there are other governmental organisations that do something similar, but I feel like the library, in recent times, needs to pivot from just books and reading and studying, to educating the public. In other words, emphasis should be placed on more than just book learning but on life learning…. So, teaching people how to do a CV to enter the world of work…is something that people need to know how to do,” Ms. Mayers remarked.

She continued: “Libraries around the world have seen a fall-off in people coming in to read because it’s so much easier for you to get your information elsewhere. But at the same time, libraries all over the world are pivoting their services to meet those needs. So, if it is that you see that nobody’s coming in to read Hardy Boys books, stop buying the Hardy Boys books and give them something else that they want. So, it’s really a matter of seeing your patrons, knowing your patrons, meeting their needs, which is what we are trying to do with this programme, and any programmes going forward.”

The BGIS team was also present to see the role-play session of the programme. Senior Manager of Retail Banking at Republic Bank, Sandra Reifer-Wallerson, swapped roles with the eager participants, as she went through the process of opening a bank account.

She explained that the session was part of the bank’s Power to Make a Difference Outreach Programme, and was happy to partner with the Tamarind Hall Branch to prepare young school leavers for the world of work, understanding how to open a bank account and the responsibilities of having a bank account.

“We spoke about the documents required to open an account; when you have an account, the responsibilities of spending the money; how you fashion it out. What do you do? A portion of it would go to your rent, for example, some for groceries, maintenance, and medical. So, they covered all of that. We talked about KYC, or know your customer, and we covered a bit of money laundering as well.

“The session took the format where they would do most of the talking and they would do a role play. I found that role play is always handy to reinforce anything that you have learnt,” she explained.

Meanwhile,16-year-old Barbados Community College student, Erica Carrington, who was adjudged the most outstanding participant by her peers, was effusive in her praise of the programme. She said she would readily recommend it to others if it is offered next year.

“The programme gives you valuable information, yet it is not boring and drawn out… All of the sessions were useful, but the one that really stood out for me is the session on interviews, where the facilitator gave us all of the information on what and what not to do during an interview. At the end, we got the opportunity to act out a mock interview with the facilitator,” she shared.

Ms. Mayers is optimistic that the Pave Your Path Summer Programme can be added to the NLS’ list of activities going forward, pointing out “that knowledge is power”. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Officer in charge of the National Library Service’s Tamarind Hall Branch, Astrid Mayers (left) and Senior Manager of Retail Banking at Republic Bank, Sandra Reifer-Wallerson, sharing the moment with participants of the Pave Your Path Programme

Education

Ministry Of Youth Hosts Inaugural Green Tech Expo

The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment celebrated Caribbean Youth Day on Monday by hosting its first-ever Green Tech Expo. It highlighted its commitment to empowering youth to address critical environmental challenges using innovative green technologies.

The Barbados Youth Green Tech Expo, under the theme “Uniting Environmental Sustainability with Innovation and Technology”, was held at the Hilton Barbados Resort, Needham’s Point, St. Michael

It coincided with the end of National Youth Week; an initiative launched by the Ministry in 2015 to highlight the role young people play in national development.

Speaking at the opening of the expo, Director of Youth Affairs, Cleviston Hunte, emphasised the need for collaboration with key youth stakeholders to meet the country’s development goals.

Acknowledging the setbacks young people have faced, Mr. Hunte reiterated Government’s commitment to working with organisations such as the Ashley Lashley Foundation and other vital partners.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Ashley Lashley Foundation and all our partners and stakeholders who have worked tirelessly with the Ministry to bring this event to fruition.

“To the many practitioners and other actors in the green space whose collaboration with this Ministry plays a critical role in assisting Government to achieve the mandates set out in the Green Energy Policy, let me say that your unwavering support and commitment to green technology and sustainable development are truly commendable. Together, we have demonstrated that when we unite for a common cause, we can achieve remarkable things.”

CARICOM Youth Ambassador for Barbados and coordinator of the event, Ashley Lashley, noted that the day was a “celebration of the power of young minds to drive change and shape a greener future for our region and our country”. She noted that generations to come will have “serious issues” when it comes to climate change, and agriculture, as well as creating and maintaining a sustainable green economy.

“We have the energy, creative and passion to solve them, … so ask yourselves, what’s your role in shaping the future,” the Youth Ambassador stated.

Exhibitors at the Green Tech Expo included the Barbados National Oil Company; Walkers Institute for Regenerative Reserve, Education and Design; Barbados Fisheries Division; the Biocultural Educational Research Programme; Barbados Environmental Sustainability Fund; and Eco Sky Water. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Students of the Parkinson Memorial Secondary School chatting with the founder of Sky Water, Kyle Taylor, at the Barbados Youth Green Tech Expo, Hilton Barbados Resort

Education

Applications Invited For National Development Scholarships 2024

Applications are invited from suitably qualified Barbadians for the 2024 National Development Scholarships at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Applicants must be citizens of Barbados, between ages 18 and 40, and have been accepted at an Internationally Accredited University.

Scholarships may be awarded in the following areas: Data Analytical and Artificial Intelligence; Robotics and Machine Learning; Electronic Vehicle Maintenance; Repair and Engineering; Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development; Indoor Air Quality; Ergonomics and Human Factors Engineering; Forensic Pathology; Communication Sciences and Disorders; Audiology; Speech Therapy; Object Conservation for Sculptures; Archaeology; Artifacts and Ethnographic; and Dendrology.

Programmes offered at campuses of The University of the West Indies will not be considered.

The scholarship covers:

one direct economy class ticket to the country of study at the commencement of the course, and one return ticket to Barbados on completion of the programme
full tuition fees, payable directly to the university
a book allowance of $ 1,000.00 (once)
a clothing allowance of $736.00 (once), applicable for students pursuing studies in cold countries, and
Living allowance as follows: USA $6,300.00 per annum; CAN.$5,880.00 per annum, and United Kingdom £7,560.00 per annum.

Successful applicants will be required to enter a bond with two sureties to return and work in Barbados on completion of the course, on the basis of one year for each year of the award.

For application forms and further information, visit the website of the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (METVT), or collect directly from the METVT’s Elsie Payne Complex, Constitution Road, St. Michael.

Completed forms must be submitted by Friday, October 25, 2024. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. (PR/GIS)