Premier of Nevis, West Indies – Jospeh Parry
Charlestown, Nevis
November 14, 2008
Premier of Nevis and Minister of Education, the Hon. Joseph Parry congratulated teachers for building skills for the future at the Extra Mile Teacher Recognition Awards Ceremony on Thursday, November 13th at the prestigious Old Manor Hotel.
The ceremony was held in recognition of teachers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their efforts to secure a sound educational future for the children of Nevis.
While applauding the awardees and the organizers, Premier Parry stated, “I believe that there needs to be a drive throughout our community and the country to show more recognition for the great work that teachers do.”
In recognition for their hard work, Extra Mile teachers, Shellita Browne, Donace Wilkinson, Sharima Powell and Jessica LeBlanc, received awards along with retirees Vincent Adams, Keith Glasgow, David Grant, Elvira Simmonds, Lucia Wilkinson and Celia Archibald.
Premier Parry, who is a former teacher, said he still loves teaching and that once someone is bitten by the teaching bug, that person will continue to help and give positive direction when needed.
The Premier said he acknowledges that a number of the retired teachers are still young, so he hopes that they will take up positions at private schools or decide to come back to the public school system since they have so much to offer.
“I hope the retirement by the teachers is a temporary situation and after six months they will get bored and step back into teaching,” said Premier Parry.
The Premier declared, that for the past two years he has been standing up on behalf of teachers. While he lamented that some parents like to be negative about teachers and criticize them, he encouraged everyone to continue their support for our teachers, since they are the ones who end up playing a pivotal role in the lives of children today.
Principal Education Officer, Mrs. Jennifer Hodge gave welcome remarks and chaired the event while Ms. Latoya Jeffers, Leona and Petrona Freeman sang a glowing tribute to the teachers. Entertainment was provided by the Eclectic Band.