Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Sonita Daniel – Nevis Library Services

Charlestown, Nevis
January 07, 2011

Transformation of school libraries was a critical success to preparing students on Nevis for the challenges of the Information and Knowledge Age. That was the view expressed by Director of the Nevis Library Services (NLS) Mrs. Sonita Daniel when she handed over three computers to three school libraries on Nevis on Friday January 06, 2012.

The presentations which took place at the Department of Education at Marion Heights were made to Principal of the Violet O. Jeffers Nicholls Primary School Mrs. Ermileta Elliott and Teacher Librarian at the Gingerland Secondary School Ms. Londa Browne. A representative for the St James Primary School was not immediately available to receive the gift.

“It is important for us to upgrade the physical facilities, provide equipment, technology and information resources in all media formats.

“Through our school libraries, our students as well as staff must be exposed to modern tools and features in keeping with international standards and best practices for school libraries. Our school libraries must, therefore, be provided with the appropriate technology, hardware and software,” she said.

Mrs. Daniel referred to the presentation as a step in the right direction and explained that the Library Services was able to provide the school libraries with the computers, printers and extra ink as a result of fund raising activities in 2011.

“[It] forms part of an initiative by the NLS to ensure that our school libraries have the necessary tools to provide access to the information matter in data bases on the internet or on other information media.

“Our Teacher Librarians are required to create learning environments in their school libraries, that will enable and empower students at their schools to acquire and use information that helps them with school work and also help them understand their world and experiences can eventually generate new information and knowledge,” she said.

According to the Library Services Director, it was important for Teacher Librarians to impart information literacy skills that would help their students identify, acquire and organise information from different sources and also to analyse and make judgments about information collected.

Those skills were necessary for student life, she noted, as well as the world of work. With the computers available at the school libraries they would enable the Teacher Librarians to contribute to the transformation of the education system to make it more student-focused.

In addition the NLS Director explained that the computers would help to facilitate the efficient and effective management of the operations at the school libraries.

Mrs. Daniel said the NLS was proactive and therefore had found ways to support the Nevis Island Administration’s Budget in the tough economic times.

“Our school libraries need financial resources to remain current and relevant to the needs of the education system and it is for that reason we attempted to raise some funds during the International School Libraries Month in October. It is the proceeds of these activities which have enabled us to acquire those computers,” she explained.

Mrs. Daniel commended Teacher Librarians and staff of the NLS for their demonstration of initiative and team work during the fund raising activities and told them she was certain the computers would have a far reaching and positive impact on teaching and learning in the school libraries on Nevis and by extension in the education system.

She used the opportunity to express gratitude to other partners including students, class room teachers, principals, businesses, government departments and Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) among them Nevisian organisations in the United States of America for their support, citing it was a good example of private sector and NGO partnerships.

The Director also issued an invitation to other companies and agencies on Nevis and in the Federation, to partner with the NLS in 2012 to continue the development thrust in the school libraries. “An investment in the future workforce in their organisations,” she said.

Also present at the handing over was Project Officer for School Libraries on Nevis Mrs. Marva Roberts.

Related posts:

1. Nevis Libraries Critical To Development
2. Education Officer Urges Nevis Students To Read
3. Nevis Schools To Use New Approach In Teaching Computer Skills
4. Nevis Premier Launches International School Library Month
5. Nevis’ Library Christmas Craft Workshop Successful

Nevis Premier – Joseph Parry

Charlestown, Nevis
October 27, 2011

Premier of Nevis and Minister of Education, the Hon. Joseph Parry, said that in an effort to stem anti-social behavior of youth in Nevis, the Department of Education has introduced a Character Education programme as a pilot project in one of Nevis’ Primary schools.  He made the statement on his weekly radio programme “In Touch with the Premier”, on Tuesday on local radio.

“In order to stem the anti-social behavior of youth in Nevis and promote good citizenry, action must be taken to curtail youth crime and violence in Nevis and the Character Education programme is a step in that direction,” said the Premier.

During the programme, the Hon. Joseph Parry lauded the tremendous work that Principal Education Officer, Mrs. Lornette Queeley-Connor had done for the introduction of the programme at the Violet O Jeffers Nichols (VOJN) Primary School in the Parish of St. James.

In selecting the school to host the pilot programme, Premier Parry disclosed that VOJN was the top choice, considering the student body’s small size and calls from the community that action should be taken to eradicate crime in the villages surrounding the school.

After a series of staff and parent orientation sessions, the pilot programme was launched on October 11th, 2011.

“The goal of the programme is to help students develop positive characters by strengthening their core value system,” the Premier said.

He added that in order to reach that goal, the programme would introduce students of Grades K-6 to 38 character traits that would enhance their self-esteem as well as to teach them the pro-social behaviors.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Department of Information, Mrs. Connor said that Character Education could not be effectively taught as an isolated subject.

“A three-pronged approach to programme implementation has been identified. Character traits are taught through the curriculum, maintenance of a positive school culture/climate in which desired behaviors are modeled by all school personnel and service learning projects,” said Mrs. Connor.

She also said that the programme called for heavy emphasis on parental involvement. However, school-community collaboration would lead to the programme’s success which would pivot largely on the extent of character traits that were promoted and reinforced by role models beyond the borders of the school.

According to Mrs. Connor’s observations, the high level of parental support, staff participation and student engagement indicated that the programme was needed and had the propensity to be a great success.

Related posts:

1. Premier Reports On Nevis’ Education Progress
2. Nevis Schools’ Food Programme
3. New School Year Brings Changes For Nevis Education System
4. Nevis Education Officials Visit Schools
5. Nevis Teachers Encouraged To Be Well Read

Nevis Teachers Union President – Ermileta Elliott

Charlestown, Nevis
October 10, 2011

“Teachers for Gender Equality” was the theme in focus last Wednesday [Oct. 5] when teachers, worldwide, celebrated World Teachers’ Day 2011.

World Teachers’ Day, as outlined in a televised address by President of the Nevis Teachers’ Union [NTU], Mrs. Ermileta Elliott, “commemorates the signing of the 1966 and 1997 UNESCO Recommendations on the status of teachers and higher education personnel.”

While the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation [UNESCO] and Education International [EI] seek to “encompass equality between female and male teachers; demand access for girls to gender-sensitive and quality education; and focus on the contribution of teachers and education in overcoming gender stereotypes,” the NTU President called on Nevis’ males to join the teaching alliance.

“In the teaching fraternity, female teachers outnumber the males due to less males opting for a career in teaching. Today, we are inviting our boys who are in school to consider a career in the teaching profession,” she said.

Noting, however, that “the performance of the male teachers was “on par with the females,” Mrs. Elliott, on her organisation’s behalf, recorded appreciation to the educators for their “sterling performance” “in harsh economic times.”

“Today we salute all teachers for their commitment to education and pay special tribute to the male teachers who, along with their female counterparts, continue to keep the light aglow in education,” Mrs. Elliott stated.

Her address, aired on Nevis Television’s channel eight, ended with President Elliott encouraging the island’s teachers to “exercise their franchise” on Oct. 25 at the NTU’s upcoming election.

“As we continue to strengthen the foundation in the building of our nation, our teachers must be given the opportunity to participate in important discussions in education that impact the teaching profession and the promotion of social justice to lead the way forward,” she explained.

The election would be facilitated at 7:00pm as part of the NTU’s conference at the Red Cross Conference Centre in Charlestown.

Related posts:

1. Teachers Union Lauded For Role In Career Path
2. Nevis Island Needs School Teachers
3. Premier Parry Celebrates World Teachers Day on Nevis
4. Education Minister Delivers Message On World Teachers Day
5. St. Kitts – Nevis Hiring School Teachers