Minister of Education Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has lauded the Bishop Anstey Trinity College East (BATCE) sixth form school for including in its "routine operation," elements of the post-covid19 pandemic Cultural Transformation policy the ministry has begun implementing in schools.
Gadsby-Dolly delivered the feature address at the school's 2024 Achievement Day ceremony, at the Cheryl Greaves auditorium on January 17, to 113 awardees. The theme was Stand Up and Stand Out.
[caption id="attachment_1134166" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Scholarship winners Shalina Khan, left, and Lishan Browne, with sixth form dean Janieka Tudor-Baptiste.[/caption]
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So when we say to young people, 'stand up and stand out,' we have to recognise that the foundation we are standing on is becoming more difficult to build. And so sometimes what we expect of them could be a bit much because they haven't had, in all cases, the right type of preparation."
But, the minister said, referring to sixth form principal Shinelly James' outline of the school's many academic, spiritual, social, community, cultural and other programmes, "I have seen here, the emphasis on moral and spiritual values; the emphasis on team work, and that helps."
Gadsby-Dolly said for some students, the stay-at-home two-year period during the pandemic was like a vacation, but for others it was "an indoctrination into a life of crime that is very difficult and is some cases impossible to reverse."
[caption id="attachment_1134170" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Safiya Charles receives her award from TRINCOL deputy chairman Wilbert Harris.[/caption]
She said the ministry recognised there was a need to focus more deeply on values, attitudes and behaviours (VABs) as much as the academics.
"And so we had to ask our schools to focus on creating a space where, much like you do here (at BATCE), to allow our children to develop values; positive values that would help them to transform into the ideal Trinidad and Tobago citizens."
That was when the ministry introduced the 2023-2027 transformation policy.
"Why was that so important? Because especially coming out to the covid19 experience, where our children were at home; and for some children being at home was one of the worst experiences for their national and personal development.
"What they get at home is the reason why we have so much crime in our country. What they get in their community explains why their behaviour is so negative."
[caption id="attachment_1134167" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Board member Gwendolyn Ahyoung presents a performing arts award to Kaliq Cook.[/caption]
The policy, Dolly-Gadsby said, forms part of the government's Vision 2030 developmental agenda.
On the ministry's website, Strategic Initative/Action 7.3 of Goal 7, Theme I states its aim is to:
“Revise the school curriculum to emphasise core values, nationalism and workforce readiness skills...These include discipline, production, tolerance, civic responsibility and lifelong learning. Knowledge of our cultural diversity must
