Education Minister wishes SEA students strength

Newly sworn-in education minister and St Ann's East MP Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has said her first priority is the issue of teaching and learning in the covid19 environment and ensuring that no student was left behind.

She said she was sure the ministry would have been looking at the circumstances and the options available and weighing all the factors, so she would meet with the Permanent Secretary and Chief Education Officer as soon as possible to determine what exactly the plans were and how far along the implementation had progressed.

“Of course the plans would have been a little bit shifted by the fact that the rise in covid19 cases would have caused the 28-day measures to be instituted. Our children have been at home since March, so all of them do need to be able to access some sort of teaching and learning before regression begins to take root, and we don’t want that at all, especially among the primary school population. The bigger ones, many of them tend to be able to use the technology and so on and have a little more self-control in terms of time management, even though that is a major concern for them, but the younger ones are a real priority that we have to look at.”

Speaking on Wednesday after being sowrn in at President's House, she also had some advice for students sitting the SEA examination today that they can surmount the challenges which face them.

“I want to say to them that they are resilient and strong. They are doing this SEA exam against all odds. Many other children would not have faced the challenges they are facing, however that does mean they cannot surmount them. I want them to be calm, relaxed, and let everything they have learned come back to them, don’t let nervousness overcome them and I want to encourage them to pray before they begin and allow God’s blessings to flow through them as they do that exam tomorrow.”

Referring to the Prime Minister’s stated intention to have civics again become a part of the school curriculum, she said this will also be a major priority.

“Of course you would have heard the Prime Minister speak about curriculum redevelopment and enhancement to really get to our younger generation and teach them the things that they need to learn to become proper citizens, and so that as well will be a major priority, and we will be taking this into consideration.”

D'Abadie/O'Meara MP Lisa Morris-Julian was appointed minister in the Education Ministry.