Sean Douglas
While several state agencies have said that young people already learn talents such as commercial skills in existing programs, several members of a Parliament Committee urged a more targeted education on the ICT, sports, visual arts and spectacle (Vapa) and technological subjects / TOC on Friday.
The joint selective committee of human rights, equality and diversity – chaired by Dr Ibrahim Yunus Mohammed – met with officials from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Development of Young people and the National Service, the Association of Directors of Public Secondary Schools (APPSS) and the National Association of the Main Primary Schools (Napspa.)
The coordinator of the study program of the Ministry of Education / VOC, Tricia Gilkes, said that students in primary schools have acquired entrepreneurship skills during agricultural science, while the possibilities of entrepreneurial learning were also available in secondary school.
However, the member of the JSC, Shamfa Cudjoe, thought that these tangential opportunities were inadequate.
“In 2025 we need something more concentrated, more pointed.”
She wanted a clear push in computer coding and entrepreneurial culture. She said he was insufficient to teach students the agricultural sciences and hope that they have picked up some entrepreneurship in this area.
“Prepare young people for entrepreneurship in this modern world.”
Later, the APPSS, the first vice-president, David Simon, urged a complete overhaul of the technology he considered ICT rather than traditional technological / VOC subjects.
“The student who exists today is completely different.”
“What place is there for robotics? For AI (artificial intelligence)?” He challenged the study program.
“We are not preparing a student for the next five years; we are preparing a new generation!”
Having grown up in a coastal city, Simon also made a branch for fishing and said that in each community, similar local skills / professions could be identified and taught to students. Traditional skills could be taught alongside new education trends, he urged, citing robotics and AI again.
On this note, the president of the Appss, Sharlene Hicks-Raeburn, said that she wanted to make a candle for the manufacture of steel pans.
In the midst of a clearly heavy bureaucracy to obtain simple initiatives in schools, the member of the JSC, Hazel Thompson-Ahye, suggested that a school could obtain a person in the place which could teach part-time a specific competence such as the work of the needle / embroidery, then transmit it to schools nearby in a pooling of efforts / resources.
The member of the JSC, Anita Haynes, was strongly disagreed, the schools of thought should not be overwhelmed by this responsibility. It has also urged the lessons to teach the theory of entrepreneurship should also be supported by practical opportunities for students as in a learning program.
Thompson-Ahye supported his take for teaching skills in sewing by asking if an apparent predilection for nudity at the carnival was due to a lack of seamstresses / tailors to sew costumes. She asked if entrepreneurship lessons should simply teach students how to do a business plan or go further to teach things such as the legal requirements of a company.
“We want to know that students are sufficiently prepared for entrepreneurship.”
The Committee heard a plethora of misfortunes at the idea of trying to extend the teaching of sport in schools.
Hicks-Raeburn said that any Introduction of Cape Sport in public schools needed a firm's approval note as well as details on the number of teachers allocated to teach this subject, among others. “So this is not something you can make of the beat.
“Human resources are essential, therefore the Ministry of Education may need to develop an additional personnel policy for the development of sport.”
Hicks-Raeburn deplored that the hiring of the coaches poses challenges.
“Payment of coaches can be very laborious.”
She said it could also be difficult to assess the qualifications presented by people offering coaches. Hicks-Raeburn suggested the creation of a ministry position of the sports administrator and an additional funding allowance to recruit coaches to work with students during hours after school.
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