Minister Wycliffe Smith addressing pupils at Leonald Conner School.
PHILIPSBURG–Education Minister Wycliffe Smith outlined on Wednesday some of the ministry’s plans for public schools for the current academic year, which started on Monday with thousands of children attending school.
Smith said during the Council of Ministers press briefing that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports will be giving “great attention” to St. Maarten Vocational Training School (SMVTS).
An audit was carried out at the government secondary school during the last schoolyear. Based on the findings of the audit, recommendations have been made to implement several changes that would enhance and improve the school’s image and the quality of its programmes.
The Ministry appointed a task force which is in the process of finalising the plans with School Manager Rita Gumbs and the management team at the school. Teachers, students and parents were included in the audit of the school. Now that plans are being finalised, these stakeholders will be included as well. After all stakeholders have been informed, the Ministry will share the plans with the public, Smith said.
Smith visited all public schools on Monday: six primary schools and one secondary school. He said students and staffs were in “great spirits, excited about the year ahead.”
“The academic year 2019-2020 has begun for most of our teachers and students. I wish all educators, school management, and the auxiliary staff, school bus drivers and parents much success this academic year,” he said.
“Unfortunately, some school repairs were not completed as we would have liked. However, the work will continue. To ensure the safety of our students, arrangements have been made with the contractors to continue to work in the afternoon hours when children are out of school.”
He said the Division of Public Education reports that its teaching vacancies have been filled with a few new faculty members whose hiring process is now being completed. All teachers for public education will soon be in the classrooms and operational.
“For this year, I encourage all partners in education to work together for greater success. I also encourage our parents who have a child or children attending school to be engaged in the education process of your child. Make sure that your child attends school. Make sure he/she completes homework. Keep in touch with the school and with the teacher about your child’s progress, and make sure to collect your child’s report card whenever it is issued.
“It was encouraging to hear from the school principals that a lot of parents showed up to school on the first day with their children.”
Marie Genevieve de Weever School Principal Anna Grantham-Halley was “elated” about the attendance of “so many fathers” who also stayed for the first general assembly of the schoolyear.
At Oranje School, the principal and teachers were “excited” about the large number of fathers and men who participated in the “Read-A-Book to Children” programme last schoolyear.
“In this programme, fathers and men give a little bit of their time each week to come to the school and read to groups of children. I can tell you that the benefits of such a programme are tremendous,” Smith said. “I certainly believe that we can progress with unity and, in so doing, impact our community for good.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/90019-great-attention-for-smvts-this-year-public-school-repairs-in-the-afternoons
View comments
Hide comments