Last Updated on October 24, 2019, 2:16 PM AST by Anthony Morris
The Parliamentary Representative and the Minister of Education, Hon Shawn Richards is from Sandy Point. The top brass in the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education are all Sandy Pointers, yet fifth form Technical Drawing students of the Charles E Mills Secondary School (CEMSS) in Sandy Point, may not be able to sit the CSEC examinations next year.
“For the past 2 years the principal of CEMSS has been in discussions with the Ministry of Education about upgrading their technical drawing wing with the relevant software and equipment needed to sit the exams,” according to a statement posted on the website of the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP).
The party said that several parents have expressed their frustrations about the situation.
“A meeting was held a month ago with the parents of the current 5th form students who were urged to band together and demand answers. They were told that since 2017 reports have been made to the Ministry of Education, yet nothing has been done. If the necessary upgrades are not accomplished the students would be robbed of the opportunity to sit the CSEC exams after 3 years of preparations. The upgrade is vital for the students to receive ample training to adequately perform,” the statement added.
“This would mean that CEMSS may be the only school in the Federation unable to sit the Technical Drawing examinations for CSEC,” said the statement,
“Completely unacceptable,” the statement added, pointing out that the CEMSS, formerly the Sandy Point High School is the Alma Mater of the Hon Shawn Richards and the only secondary school within his constituency.
“It is quite disgraceful that these students will have to forego the opportunity to enhance their education in this field. This is especially damaging for those who intend to pursue further studies. These students would then have to either pay for outside classes to get up to speed in order to sit the exams in the upcoming year or be delayed another year to achieve their goals. This is unbecoming for a Minister of Education to allow for something like this to occur,” said the statement.
Parents and guardians have been urged to unite and speak out against the injustice.
“Your child’s academic welfare depends on it. We implore you to demand answers and demand a resolution.”
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
