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by pltm
(PLTM) - A study conducted under the former Virgin Islands Party (VIP) administration recommended the need for the implementation of an additional school year at the secondary level, according to Hon. Myron Walwyn, Minister of Education and Culture.
However, Minister Walwyn and former Education Minister, Hon. Andrew Fahie clashed over poor planning by the government, where proper accommodations were not in place at the Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS) and Bregado Flax Educational Centre campuses for the Grade 12 students, due to financial constraints.
Hon. Fahie is claiming that the Minister sat in Cabinet and allowed monies to be allegedly squandered on other projects without giving education priority.
In the House of Assembly yesterday, September 22, Hon. Fahie asked the Minister that given the lack of finances available by his government for the extra school year, if he feels that the timing of the implementation was untimely and premature.
In response, Minister Walwyn said the proposal to make secondary education in the Territory a six year programme was made to the government as far back as 1977. He said additionally, it must have been by divine intervention that he received a copy of a report named Review of the Education Sector of the British Virgin Islands, which was commissioned by the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) government during their term from 1999 - 2003.
"The report was a joint report between the government of the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean Development Bank. The final report was submitted to the government and to the newly formed Ministry of Education in October of 2000, and the member (Hon. Fahie) whose question I am answering at this time, was the Minister at that point. In fact, the member became the Minister in June of 2000," he said.
The 2000 report had recommended, among many other things, a new comprehensive five year education plan, that the secondary school cycle be re-conceived to cover a period of six years, so as to provide three years for the completion of all proposed aspects of the senior high school programmes, and the requirements of external examinations. Also, it recommended that the addition of a sixth year to the senior high school programme be introduced in a phased-fashion.
Further, it recommended that students who are able to comfortably attempt CXC examinations after two years in the senior high section of the schools be allowed to do so, and to begin advanced level or introductory college level courses in their sixth year of high school.
"Madam Speaker, the report was a very good report and even though I saw this report for the very first time on Tuesday of this week, a significant amount of the improvements and initiatives that we have implemented in the Ministry of Education since taking office, were recommended in this very report," said Minister Walwyn.
Members who served on the review team for the report were Mr. Quince Francis, CDB Staff Member, Human Resource Development; Dr. Ralph Romain, CDB Consultant; Dr. Keva Bethel, Consultant, Education Review; Mr. Elroy Turnbull, Consultant, Ministry of Education, BVI; Dr. Quincy Lettsome, Deputy Chief Education Officer, BVI; Mr Otto O'Neal, Director of Planning, Development Planning Unit, BVI; and Mr Elihu Rhymer, Private Sector Representative, BVI.
He Did Not Fight For $$
Hon. Fahie however noted that the Minister was deliberately trying to divert from the real issue of lack of proper planning.
"The Minister has shifted or is trying to shift, after informing us three years ago that he was going to do the sixth form, because I understand the Minister's intent, because there were so many other things in that same report, it's amazing he only took that part out," Hon. Fahie said.
"He went down the road of politics, which was out of touch with the question. For the record, no one ever disagreed with the sixth form. Out of the Minister's own mouth, he announced that it was coming three years ago."
Hon. Fahie added, "The Minister, knowing that he needed this money to adequately implement the sixth form, there is where the point is; why was the funding for it not secured?...There is inadequate human resources at the high school. Proper financial planning would have taken care of that..."
Minister Walwyn then commented, "The point is that we were not ready, but the students are properly housed at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. The 12th Grade is being implemented and the programmes are going well."
Hon. Fahie then put forward that Minister Walwyn sat in Cabinet for three years and watched his colleagues use millions for several other projects, placing education on the back-burner.
"Given that the Minister based on collective responsibility (sat in Cabinet) and allowed $7M to go for the plane; over $5M for airport project thus far; over $30M extra approved for the cruise pier project; and over $1M for the wall (ESHS) that came long after the report (under VIP), and the implementation of the extra year, which most were un-budget and not approved by the House of Assembly."
He said, "So I am asking the Minister being that he was involved in all those, why didn't he make sure that some of the monies that want to these, went to the proper implementation of the new six form?"
Minister Walwyn responded, "Madam Speaker, I don't know what answer I could possibly give to the Member. I have nothing more to add to what I have said before."
Earlier on, Minister Walwyn had indicated that there is no issue with human resources, and that government has deployed the necessary financial resources to ensure the buildings are completed soon.
"To my knowledge and this has been confirmed by the Principal of the Elmore Stoutt High School that all the teachers that are required to deliver the Grade 12 Programme to our students are in place," he said.
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