OTT is harnessing the talents of young persons and creating opportunities. This was the assessment given by Janelle Headley, the brain behind Operation Triple Threat (OTT), whose passion for the creative arts spearheaded her to create this avenue to prepare young persons for a career in the musical arts.

The Barbados Advocate spoke to Headley recently as the team were already into another performance entitled “Madagascar” which ran from June 30, through to July 2 at St Winifred’s School.

Headley recounted, “Operation Triple Threat is a holistic performing arts programme for students between seven & 21 years. The original idea for the programme was inspired by the need for training for youths to become, what the entertainment industry calls, a ‘triple threat’ – someone skilled in each of the three disciplines of singing, dancing and acting. Each student must earn his or her place through a rigorous audition and interview process and once enrolled, goes through weekly intensive training to hone their talent. OTT’s vision is to develop performing artists who excel and compete at an international level.

In April 2016 OTT reached the five year mark and we were very proud to have successfully mounted the exquisite and challenging musical “Into The Woods” at Frank Collymore Hall. In June that year we also produced “Seussical Jr.” as well as “Broadway!” Each show was met with great praise from audiences who were impressed by the incredible talent of the cast of students, as well as the high quality of production. For OTT’s 2017 April show we produced the Caribbean infused “Once On This Island”, which also gained great reviews, now “Madagascar – A Musical Adventure Jr.”

She reminded Barbadians, “Although we are known for producing Musical Theatre, OTT is first and foremost a Charity dedicated to helping young artistes be the best they can be. In just a few years, through our Bridge Award Programme, we have enabled approximately 50 students to either attend our local programme at no cost, attend international Musical Theatre training workshops, as well as audition or attend international Performing Arts institutions. During this academic year we financially assisted four OTT alums to attend various colleges or universities in the USA and we also hosted a special workshop in May with Broadway performer Tanya Birl and her husband, Broadway percussionist, Wilson Torres. These opportunities were all made possible with the help of our strategic partner The Maria Holder Memorial Trust, along with private donors who see the value in investing in the development of our young performers.”

The Founder also highlighted some of the achievements, “Four students enrolled at the American Musical & Dramatic Academy , one student enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts ,one student enrolled in The University of Arizona , two students graduated from the American Musical & Dramatic Academy, one student performed in ‘Play House on the Parks’ Off-Broadway production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’ OTT’s performance standard is as high as any in the world for an amateur group, youth or adult... ”

Headley urged Barbadians to support the creative arts and to support the dream of many young people. She stressed that this not a hobby that it is a viable niche that is recognised throughout the world and can be a thriving industry in Barbados with proper support. (NB)

Approximately 54 000 claims have been approved by the National Insurance Department over a six year period.

This is according to the Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Esther Byer Suckoo, who delivered the keynote address at a seminar entitled, “Safe Workplaces are Productive Workplaces” recently at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa.

She said that a poor health and safety record among various organisations would negatively impact on productivity as well as the morale of the employees.

“A poor safety and health culture would impact negatively, not only on productivity, but also on company morale which manifests in high levels of sick leave and absenteeism. The National Insurance Department has provided statistics that show that our
sickness claims places a strain on the national insurance and ultimately, on the national economy.”

Byer Suckoo said that this Department provided statistics that show the extent of the number of persons who have claimed sickness benefits.

“For the six year period from 2009 to 2014, our national insurance has approved sickness claims of 54 400 annually. That is approved claims. An average; that are not the ones that they didn’t approve for whatever reason – that is approved claims. The average is 54 000 – varied of course – from 51 a year to nearly 70 000 in another year, but over the six year period, an average of 54 000 claims and an average of 38 million dollars annually coming out of the National Insurance Fund, just on sickness benefits.

“One of the illnesses that people have claimed for is respiratory diseases and indeed a problem does exist in some quarters with respect to poor indoor air quality,” said the Minister of Labour.

“Now that is not desegregated for me into what the illnesses were. They have identified some of the main causes and they include respiratory illnesses, and we do know that as Mr. Walcott mentioned, we do have a lot of problems with
indoor air quality that does contribute to workers getting these respiratory illnesses, not in every case, but we do know that is one of the causes and of course some of the stranger injuries – some of which you do see in the workplace as well.” (PJT)

ENVIRONMENTAL scientist, Dr. Ariana Marshall, believes there would be greater buy-in for the newly introduced plastic bag fee if there was a clearer understanding by the public on what the money is being used.

Her comments came yesterday during a press briefing on a community-based recycling project being undertaken in the Deacons community where she was asked to share her thoughts on the new fee.

According to Dr. Marshall, “I think it is a burden on the Barbadian people to have to pay a plastic bag fee, but it is also a burden to see a sea turtle full of plastics.”

She went on to state that the burden for Barbadians also came without any explanation or transparency. In fact, she opined that many local cashiers are still oblivious about the fee and its implementation.

“If we said this supermarket is charging a fee and it is going to clean up this beach or sponsor a programme or this school, I think the Bajan people would be more amenable to it,” she stated.

Furthermore, “It is said that the plastics industry was spoken to for a while about this. I would like to know what was said... you don’t just come to someone and say change the industry. It doesn’t matter how many world-wide opportunities there are,” she said.

Dr. Marshall advanced the view that Corporate Barbados should be giving away reusable bags to their customers. “The fact that they are now charging for the plastic bag, selling reusable bags and then expect everybody to fall in line... you should have started by using reusable bags and clean-ups. We have this scare tactic mentality and everybody will just take it, that’s not fair,” she said.

“Give away some bags and show that you are not just burdening, but show responsibility for dealing with existing waste,” she said, adding that all supermarkets should include free reusable bags into their budget and these branded bags can be used for marketing purposes.

With the Crop Over season kicking into high gear, she noted that promoters are being encouraged to put waste management into their planning to avoid embarrassment. She noted that the company Better Caribbean of which she is a director has been partnering with promoters to offer waste management solutions and has been well-received. (JH)

An additional 192 teachers have been appointed to the teaching service in Barbados.

Yesterday, the primary school teachers assembled at Erdiston Teachers’ Training College at 2 p.m, where they were presented with their letters of appointment during a ceremony attended by Senator Harcourt ‘Harry’ Husbands, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education; Permanent Secretary June Chandler; Chief Education Officer, Karen Best, and other senior education and personnel administration division (PAD) officials.

These teachers would have applied for the posts in the primary system back in November 2013.

Senator Husbands took the opportunity to offer his congratulations, and revealed that within the last year over 700 teachers were granted permanent positions.

“This is something that you demanded, that is something that your unions made noise for, this is something that you went to meetings and said you wanted. Now that you have it, the ball is in your court, the responsibility has shifted to you,” he stressed.

“The society in which we live now is quite different from the one that I lived in when I was appointed to the teaching service. The parents and the other stakeholders out there are asking you to be more accountable. They are going to say that you demanded appointments and there were over 700 appointments – so why is it my child cannot read…”

Best further warned the teachers against “slacking off” now having received their appointment letters.

“You were working very hard and were not appointed as yet. Don’t think for one moment because you have a letter of appointment that we can’t tell you anything. The Ministry has a Permanent Secretary who supports me very well, so when I have persons not doing what they are supposed to do, we know what to do…I hope you keep on the straight and narrow path. Let me hear about all the good things you are doing in our schools and please continue to do what you are doing,” she said.

Only last month, Minister of Education Ronald Jones presented 141 teachers with their appointment letters. (TL)

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has welcomed a new batch of interns, commencing their one-year journey towards being able to practise medicine in this country.

The 27 medical school graduates, all Barbadians, were chosen from among 52 who applied for posts within the professional internship programme for newly graduated medical doctors.

The interns – 18 females and nine males – were all smiles as they reported to work at the Martindale’s Road medical facility. They were greeted by Director of Medical Services, Mr. Anthony Harris; and Dr. Clyde Cave, Senior Consultant, Department of Paediatrics.

According to Dr. Cave, those chosen for the programme attained the highest grade point averages (GPAs) of the programme’s Barbadian applicants.

“It is the policy of the Board of Management of the QEH to give Barbadians of the three campuses of the University of the West Indies first preference. So students are ranked based on academic performance – which is calculated in the form of GPA – and the top performers are accepted into the QEH’s internship programme,” he told The Barbados Advocate.

He added that the interns will do three month rotations in each of the major clinical department – medicine; obstetrics and gynaecology; paediatrics and surgery and together with the interns who came into the QEH during the January intake, will be evenly divided among the four specialties. He indicated that interns from the two periods number 36.

Also on hand was the 2015-2016 Intern of the Year, Dr. Emma Dash, who offered some tips to the new interns on how to do their best and give of their best to the patients with whom they will come into contact with. She told them that while it may seem as if they have overcome their biggest hurdle, the real work has only just begun.

“My first pointer is to be humble [and] ask as many questions as you can possibly think of. Yes I know you just completed your exams and you think you know a lot, but experience is gold and that’s what your seniors are there for,” she said.

Dr. Dash also advised the interns to see every job involved in the care of the patient as theirs.

“If you have to push their wheelchair down the hallway at two o’clock in the morning to get X-rays, do it; don’t say that is not my job because everything is your job. The purpose is to make the patient better. Secondly, work hard, work smart. You can either be the intern who gets here at 6:30, 7 in the morning, be organised, see all your patients, know everything for when your seniors get there; or you can be the one that gets there at 8:30, strolls in at 9 o’clock and then you’re scrambling for the rest of the day,” she said.

Last but not least, she reminded them to be kind to their patients and noting that most patients know what is wrong with them, she urged the interns to value their patients’ input.

“You are the main point between them and your seniors, so you represent them… everything that happened during the day that they tell you about, that is what you are supposed to relay to your seniors, that’s important. And I’ve always found that if you treat your patients like you would your family, like your brothers and sisters, it is a lot harder to go wrong,” she contended. (JRT)

The performance of students of the St. Joseph Primary School in the 2017 Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE) has been commended by that school’s Principal.

Addressing the graduation ceremony held at the Grantley Adams Memorial School, Principal, Evans Hinkson pointed out that the students’ performance in Mathematics surpassed the national mean by “9.03 percent”. He said “the national mean is 54.97 percent [and] our mean is 64.00 [percent].”

Meanwhile in English, Hinkson revealed that the school “fell short” by “just of a point” given that the national mean in this subject is 70.4 percent and St. Joseph Primary obtained 69.9 percent. He told the gathering that English will be one area where efforts will be made to put in “a bit of extra work at the school.”

Hinkson further said, “these statistics however represented a very good performance by the school and I wish to commend the parents, teachers, the students for a job well done. This performance should go a long way in inspiring those in Class 3 whose focus now is to surpass this effort of the Class 4.”

Turning his attention to offer words of encouragement to the 24 graduates, he urged them as they enter their new schools to always be themselves and to be brave and mentally strong. Hinkson also advised them to reach outside their comfort zone, not to be afraid of failure, not to stop learning, continue to obey the instructions of their parents and to get involved in a variety of extracurricular activities.

Additionally taking the time in her remarks to give advice to the Class 4s was feature speaker, Roshanna Trim. The former Prime Minister of the Barbados Youth Parliament reminded the graduates that their dreams can be achieved. She urged them not to let go of their dreams because someone said they couldn’t achieve them.

As Class 4 students of Ellerton Primary School transition to secondary school, their parents have been handed some crucial advice.

During the school’s 2017 Graduation Ceremony & Thanksgiving Service, Education Officer (Ag) in the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Denise Charles urged them to continue to support their children as they move onto the next phase of their educational journey.

“Do not think that it stops here,” she stressed. “Having come out of the secondary school environment I can tell you that after first form we see very little of parents. They usually attend the first form level meetings and we normally see lots of parents. But, then as children move up in the school we see less and less of them”.

“I don’t want you to be those types of parents. I want you to continue to make your presence felt as your children move through secondary school; become involved in their lives,” Charles said.

This year, Ellerton’s Most Outstanding Student and Boy Dominic Brathwaite, will be headed to Queen’s College in September. He gained 92 percent in English and 95 in Mathematics. The top girl, Destynee Walkes gained 86 in English and 84 in Mathematics. She will be moving on to Alleyne Secondary School.

Principal, Donna Allman commended all her students on a job well done. She revealed that all 23 students who sat the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE) gained places in government secondary schools.

“The mathematics scores ranged from 3% - 95% while the English scores ranged from 17% to 92% percent. Generally, our students excelled. The scores in English were higher when compared to the scores in Mathematics. We also noticed this same trend last academic year. We therefore must redouble our effort in the teaching of mathematics so as to close the wide gap between English and Mathematics”.

She told them to take full advantage of the opportunities at their new schools. “Get involved, develop new skills, new disciplines and add to your knowledge. Serve your school faithfully and loyally. Don’t ask what your school can do for you, instead ask what you can do for your school...”

Featured Speaker, Jonathan Seale, a past student of Ellerton Primary School reflected on the graduation theme “Chosen! Going Forth to Show God’s Excellence” explaining to the graduands that they have been placed here by God to make a difference.

“We are not chosen to fit in, but we are chosen to stand out. We are not chosen to be carbon copies, but we are chosen to make the real, the authentic, the unique”.

“Today I challenge you, despite how tempting it is to simply go with the flow, remember you are chosen to make a difference, to represent God, to represent your family and to represent Ellerton Primary School,” stressed the second year Queen’s College student.

“We are not only chosen, but we are chosen to be people of excellence. Excellence means always striving to do better. When I think of excellence it is not perfection, for then most of us would never be able to achieve excellence. Excellence for me is striving always to do your best in everything that you do always…” (TL)

Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Cleviston Haynes, has revealed that the May 30 Budget introduced by Government represents a substantial fiscal adjustment effort to restore macroeconomic balance.

Haynes told a number of Rotarians assembled at the Accra Beach Resort over the weekend for an installation ceremony and dinner, that it is no secret that Barbados currently faces economic challenges.

“Indeed, Government’s recent budgetary measures, by their sheer magnitude, represent a substantial fiscal adjustment effort that seeks to restore macroeconomic stability, engender confidence and place the economy on a sustainable growth path,” according to the top Economist.

He pointed out that as an import-dependent country, foreign exchange is critical to sustain Barbados’ economic activity. “Unfortunately, the foreign reserves have fallen below the levels to which we have become accustomed in the recent past, raising concern among the public about the trajectory,” the Central Bank of Barbados official remarked.

“This situation is reversible but increased foreign exchange inflows together with a dampening of demand for foreign exchange are now needed,” he suggested.

At the same time, the Acting Governor stated that taxes “we collect to finance public services and facilitate the distribution of resources to the less fortunate have historically been less than necessary to meet the costs of public administration, social services and infrastructure development.”

He acknowledged that education, health, sanitation, public housing and public transportation are all delivered to the public at below cost. As such, these investments in people and infrastructure have enabled Barbados to be ranked as having a high level of human development, the highest in the CARICOM area, he reasoned.

The Acting Governor reminded the audience of principally Rotarians that these services have been paid for in part by a progressive income tax system that requires those with access to greater means to carry a heavier burden.

“Traditionally, however, we have borrowed as matter of policy to cover the gaps between revenue and expenditure and facilitate improved living conditions. Over time the costs of financing the accumulated deficits that arose from this strategy have begun to absorb a substantial share of the revenue government collects, coincident with reduced access to private sector financing.”

In light of this, he stated that from a macroeconomic perspective, adjustment is therefore required. However, placing the public finances on a sustainable path requires a stable revenue base to fund expenditures necessary for enhancing socioeconomic conditions. We need, inter alia therefore, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of both our tax collection effort and the delivery of public services. This is particularly necessary given that one of the outcomes of the current fiscal imbalance is that the State has found itself unable to sustain the level of funding being requested for some social services.

Government has been reviewing the scope and scale of activities in which it is engaged.

The economist pointed to comments where some persons advocate the need for cuts in public expenditures in preference to new or higher taxes, with public enterprise reform at the centre of the adjustment.

Haynes said that reforms “require us to make difficult choices as to how we will allocate available resources and where we will seek increased efficiency.”

He made it clear that Barbadians should not ignore the possibility, therefore, that such reforms may require some or all of us as citizens to participate more directly in the funding of services that we receive from government in the future.

Already some adjustments have been made, the most prominent of which has been the decision to ask students at the University of the West Indies to pay some of their tuition costs, the Acting Governor added. ̆

Birthdays are times for merriment and centenarian, Una Ifill did just that when she marked her 100th milestone yesterday.

Singing one of her favourite gospel songs, “Something In My Heart Like A Stream Running Down”, Ifill serenaded Acting Governor General, Sir Philip Greaves, who paid her a special visit at her Battaleys, St. Peter residence for the occasion.

This was Sir Philip’s first official visit to celebrate with one of this island’s centenarians since being sworn into the post of Acting Governor General by Chief Justice, Sir Marston Gibson, over the weekend.

While interacting with Ifill, he spoke admirably about what a wonderful voice she has for her age. He additionally congratulated her on reaching 100 years, while noting that it is always good to see people from the North. Sir Philip also presented her with a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of non-alcoholic wine.

Ifill, who is commonly known as “Sylvie”, was surrounded on the day by her family members, some of whom flew in from the United States of America, her neighbours, friends and church family from Church of God, St. Peter where she worshipped. Also present were students from the Roland Edwards Primary School.

The former labourer told The Barbados Advocate she credits God for allowing her to reach her 100th birthday.

“I try my best to put God in front to guide me and protect me and direct me in the right way until the time is up. What a friend I have in Jesus,” she quipped.

Ifill has four children, one of whom died, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Speaking fondly about her grandmother, Sharon Ifill said, “It was good. She put God first and she always used to be working hard and she always say to make sure you put your best foot forward in whatever you do and put God first in everything.”

A new charity has been launched to provide assistance for young people in this country.

It is the William and Verona Lashley Foundation, founded in honour of the late parents of the Parliamentary Representative for Christ Church West Central and Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley.
Speaking yesterday morning at the St. John’s Primary School graduation, Minister Lashley said that while the goal of the foundation is raise funds and solicit donations to provide support and assistance to young Barbadians in general, its initial focus will be students hailing from the St. John’s Primary School, formerly the St. John’s Mixed School, which he and his eight siblings attended; and the Vauxhall Primary School in Christ Church.

Addressing those gathered in the Messiah Wesleyan Holiness Worship Centre, Lashley spoke glowingly of his parents – products of St. John – who he said always encouraged young people everywhere to make good use of their education. Additionally, he said they always upheld the virtues of good manners, respect and excellent deportment.

“They always promoted the maxim, ‘manners maketh man’. They were true ‘salt of the earth’ residents of St. John. They were humble but highly intelligent individuals who were astute planners and very aware of social and political events both locally and internationally. They also attended the St. John’s Mixed School. They were not themselves fortunate to benefit from education beyond what was known as the seventh standard, but they were extremely hard-working and dedicated parents who insisted on a full education for each of their children,” he said.

Minister Lashley added that his parents truly understood the enormous value of a solid education, having emerged from a period of struggle during their adult life when opportunities for advancement among black Barbadians were very limited. He pointed out, however, that such circumstances did not prevent his parents from seeking knowledge from multiple sources and applying that knowledge to the development of their family, and contributing to the wider development of St. John and Barbados.

Lashley urged the graduating class to take examples from his parents’ lives and apply it to theirs. He told them not to take the decisions they will make over the next few years lightly, as they will have either a positive or negative impact on the remainder of their lives.

“During your secondary school life, there will be many steps you can take, which like that fake stone may seem okay to step on; stones such as alcohol, casual sex and recreational drugs. But just like that fake stone in the jungle, these things can prove to be alligators which can completely destroy you and stop you from reaching your final destination or the fulfilment of your dreams. Even if these stones are not fatal, they can still be distractions and pitfalls, hampering your full and complete development. So please, I implore you, recognise these distractions when you are confronted with them,” he said.

He further urged the students to stay focused and put in an adequate amount of work to achieve the desired success.

“I also wish to encourage you to pursue areas of study in which you have a natural interest. You would have greater satisfaction not just in the short term, but certainly in the long term if you do the things you truly love,” he added.

With that in mind, he maintained that areas of study do not have to be limited to the traditional paths such as medicine, law or accounts, and the Sports Minister told those gathered that if they are gifted in the area of sports, they should pursue them as well.

“I want you to look at the success of our own Sir Garfield Sobers and others in our region in more recent times like Usain Bolt, all giants in their respective fields. Clearly, success can come from such avenues as well,” he stated.
(JRT)

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) has issued a call to CARICOM Heads of Government to reaffirm their collective commitment to addressing the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Caribbean.

Executive Director of the HCC, Maisha Hutton, made the call on behalf of the President, Directors and Members of the HCC, in an open letter to the CARICOM Heads of Government, on account of the recently held 38th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, held from July 4th to 6th in St. George’s, Grenada.

NCDs were a priority area for discussion as Heads celebrated the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2007 Port-of-Spain declaration to stop the epidemic of NCDs.

“In this, the 10th anniversary year of the landmark Port of Spain Declaration (POSD) on NCDs, the members of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC), Board of Directors, staff and volunteers call on you, the leadership of the 15-member states and five associate member states of CARICOM, to reaffirm your collective commitment to addressing the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Caribbean,” Hutton noted, adding that the HCC was borne out of the 2007 Port of Spain meeting.

“Fast forward to 2017. NCDs remain the leading cause of mortality and are now responsible for 40% of premature deaths in those under 70 years. They consume national health budgets at a rapid rate, as government efforts are largely focused on secondary and tertiary treatment,” Hutton indicated.

“Diabetes prevalence in our region is twice the global prevalence and our amputation rates are astronomical. Tobacco smoking amongst 13-15 year olds in the Caribbean is the highest in the Americas. Alcohol continues to pose significant challenges with no solution in sight due to lack of political currency. Physical activity levels are low and we have some of the highest rates of adult and childhood obesity in the world. We have lost our food sovereignty as importers of up to 80 per cent of the foods we consume. Our regional food systems are in dire need of restructuring to favour local sustainable production of healthy options and decreased consumption of highly processed energy dense nutrient poor imports.

“Having recently completed HCC’s 2017-2021 Strategic Plan, we have identified three key priorities and we call on you, our region’s leaders to support action across these key areas. Our call for action is supported and echoed by regional partners including PAHO, CARPHA, and CARICOM,” Hutton meanwhile stated.

The first priority areas listed is that of “Childhood Obesity” and a call was made for policies which halt/reverse adult and childhood obesity.

“These include taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages and other unhealthy foods; the banning of the sale and marketing of unhealthy foods in and around schools; the banning of marketing of unhealthy foods to children and adolescents and the regulation for mandatory front of pack labelling of packaged foods,” the HCC said.

The second priority is “Tobacco Control” and a call was made for the implementation of the Articles of the FCTC to which all Caribbean countries are signatories.

The third priority area focused on “Multisectoral Action” and a call was made for greater support at the level of the Head of State for the strengthening and/or establishment of National NCD Commissions or their equivalents to support the multisectoral response to NCDs.

Barbados and St. Lucia yesterday signed an agreement establishing the maritime boundary between the two states.

In addition, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines signed a similar treaty between themselves as a result of a series of talks between, and among, the three countries.

The signing between the states follows the 2015 signing of a maritime boundary delimitation agreement between Barbados and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Moments before putting his signature on the official documents with his counterpart Prime Minister of St. Lucia Allen Chastenet, Barbados’ Prime Minister Freundel Stuart called it a “historic moment”.

“The twin issues of ocean governance and the blue economy are becoming increasingly topical. Part and parcel of both endeavours is the ability of a state to exercise jurisdiction unimpeded over the ocean space appertaining to it. Indeed, such exercise of jurisdiction is one of the very defining characteristics of sovereignty. To be able to agree with one’s neighbours exactly where their jurisdiction begins and yours ends, and vice versa, is thus a matter of the highest import to the proper conduct of the business of the state,” he stressed.

He also highlighted that the “alacrity” with which all parties have been able to reach agreement on their respective maritime boundaries spoke “volumes to the breadth, the depth and the tenor of regional cooperation and the spirit of unity that have traditionally characterised CARICOM interstate relations.”

Stuart later added “that today’s signing ceremony is nothing less than another defining step as we seek to deepen relations between our countries, enhance regional cooperation and continue to develop a stable regime for the our common patrimony, the Caribbean Sea”.

It has been many years since their arrivals at Bayley’s Primary School, but the work put in and the memories created by Reginald Crichlow, Marcia Stuart-Yarde and Joycelyn Wooding were celebrated yesterday as staff and students wished the trio a happy retirement.

The three stalwarts who in total have contributed more than a decade of service to the Ministry of Education and over fifty years to Bayley’s were honoured by the school as they said good-bye to the teaching service. Stuart-Yarde who teaches Classes three-four has spent the longest – 41 years – raising the island’s children. Crichlow is just one year shy of his workmates tally, with 41 years of his own, while Wooding has put in 39 good years

Speaking to The Barbados Advocate after the ceremony, in which the three sat on the platform in places of honour, the teachers made mention of the journey to this, their final day before retirement. Stuart-Yarde spoke of the way she worked with the students, “We are a family. Whenever I get a class I tell them I am your ‘mummy’ and you are ‘siblings’ and we work together in the class.”

Crichlow had advice for those coming into the service, he told them to be committed to the task and see it as a ministry and not as a job. “It has helped me through the years, through the ups, downs and bumps along the way, whether with the children or parents.”

Wooding said that to her the love of the job and the love for children has helped her along the 39-year path she took.

All three agreed that children have changed over the years but not by much and it is the way that they are treated which carries various results. Another point agreed upon was that once the children were treated with respect, the respect was returned in kind.

It was good to see that teachers loved working with the children enough to stay in the service longer than some of the children’s parents had been alive. That is true commitment to the cause of seeing a better Barbados and the three who stood before Bayley’s School yesterday are good examples of what is required to champion such a cause. As the years go by and the experience grows, it becomes easier, at least – so said the celebrated!

THE United States of America Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean Linda Taglialatela recognises that the relationship between Barbados and the US remains strong.

Speaking at the Embassy’s celebrations for the 241st anniversary of the independence of the United States of America on Wednesday evening, Ambassador Taglialatela said that much like “Route 66 unifies the diverse cultures and geography of the United States, centuries of strong ties and cooperation unify our countries”.

The Ambassador noted that continued collaborative efforts will be vital as the two nations work together to ensure future security and prosperity.

She alluded to her government’s recently released new multi-year Caribbean strategy that establishes a framework for enhancing the security and prosperity of the Caribbean, and for bolstering US relations with the governments and people of the Caribbean.

She pointed out that economically the US continues to work with Barbados to stimulate trade, promote economic development, and foster entrepreneurship.

“We are already working closely with the US Mission to the OAS to support micro and small business creation to drive innovation, job creation, and economic diversification.

“We are connecting young entrepreneurs in the region through the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative to exchange ideas, support one another, and grow not only their businesses,” she said.

Ambassador Taglialatela also indicated that through the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative and the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, the US has been promoting the use of diverse, low-cost, renewable and reliable energy to spur economic development and create new markets.

She said the US Embassy also strives to expand student and professional exchanges in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, and also supports literacy development for early learners and educational collaboration between US and Caribbean scholars through scholarship programmes.

“To further motivate students to study STEM subjects, we screened the film “Hidden Figures” for secondary school students. In conjunction with the Barbados Olympic Association we hosted a Sports Day in St James.
“Next month we send a group of young students from Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean to Vermont to participate in the State Department’s Youth Ambassadors programme,” she noted.

However, the Ambassador stated that it is not all about the young people. She said the Embassy sponsored the UNESCO Jazz Day Concert to highlight jazz, a genre which is enjoyed by all.

Numerous professionalization workshops and seminars on topics as varied as crime journalism, combating financial fraud, and NGO management were also held.

“We also continue our cooperative efforts to support public health goals in the region. That means combating infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and Zika, as well as helping to strengthen emergency response capacity ad critical infrastructure resilience to natural hazards.

“Security, prosperity, energy education and health-these collaborative efforts bind together our relationships in the United States, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, as much as Route 66 bound together the many US states it passed through,” the Ambassador said. (AH)

Culinary tourism is a very vibrant industry world-wide and Barbados has capitalised on this niche market.

This was expressed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, Donna Cadogan, while addressing the 1st Caribbean Food, Hotel and Restaurant Exhibition which got underway, yesterday.

The three-day trade event being held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre seeks to uncover the latest trends, products and services in the market as well as the industry’s vision for the future.

“It is no secret that food has become a significant aspect of the visitor experience when looking for a destination. The visitor not only desires to experience quality food but also local authentic culture,” she pointed out.

The P.S. shared with industry stakeholders that her Ministry supports the development of the culinary arts, noting that through its entities, many apprentices have been able to develop and successfully master their skills in food preparation, presentation and promotion.

“This is in large measure due to the tireless efforts of the Barbados Hospitality Institute which must be commended for the excellent work that it has been doing within the tourism industry over the years by producing students of such high calibre that they gave secured positions in international hotels… The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) must also be commended for its in marketing and developing the culinary products,” she said.

Cadogan, who officially opened the inaugural event, commended the organisers, AME Trade Ltd for choosing Barbados to host the very significant exhibition – bringing together companies from the region, United States and Europe.

Carib Food & Hospitality, a multi-dimensional event features an international trade show and salon culinaire competition, where amateur and professional chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers will display culinary skills and techniques.

Specialised workshops will also take place focusing on how to run a profitable hospitality business through cost control and purchasing; utilising local produce in your restaurant and hotel; doing business in Barbados – business facilitation; the Caribbean as a food tourism destination – getting there; and health and safety techniques in food preparation.

Fine Foods Inc. a local distributor of Confectionery, Non-Alcoholic beverages, and Dairy products, welcomed the event.

Sales Manager, Martin Wade, said that the four-year-old company is supplying Barbados with good products at low prices.

“We are not compromising on quality… We are sourcing our products from Holland and the United Kingdom where we know we can get proper products for the Barbadian public at a reasonable cost,” he indicated. (TL)

The closing of the Alma Parris Memorial Secondary School will not affect the plans for the new secondary school in Christ Church.

Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (METI), the Honourable Ronald Jones, made this comment as he spoke to the media following a meeting that was held at the METI headquarters yesterday evening.

Regrettably, the Minister confirmed that the school had officially closed its doors and commended the work of the teachers who tried their best to help the students that attended. Unfortunately, he confessed that the school was “closing itself” due to their diminishing intake of students recently.

“There are no children going into Alma Parris, so essentially, the school was closing itself because you can’t sustain a school with students only in third and fourth form; so the school was closing itself,” he said.

He believes that sometimes even the best-laid plans go awry due to some selfish ambitions or trying to exist with competing schools whose intake is different. He expressed that this in itself was nonsensical as it meant that you start to “vary from the path or agenda which was already established and that would obviously create problems in trying to create a curriculum that would suit the needs of the students.” He noted that the institution was an experiment and saluted the teachers once again for the work that they put into ensuring the students were looked after.

Jones went on to reveal that the plans for the new secondary school that was being built in Christ Church were now being developed and revealed that the creation of the school was to deal with the number of children in the island. At present, he noted that the average secondary school contained 1 000+ students and expressed that he believed secondary schools should have a roll of 900 students and this was including the presence of a sixth form, as this would give them a chance to efficiently educate students.

Ninety-four young people throughout the Caribbean are spending this year’s summer holiday cashing in on an opportunity to gain experience in the financial sector. They were chosen from scores of persons who applied to CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank for internships at the bank’s operations in the region.

Some of the interns came to the bank through the University of the West Indies, as part of the long-standing Memorandum of Understanding between the bank and the UWI, which among other objectives, aims to give current and past students of the institution access to work experience at the bank.

The bank’s Managing Director, Human Resources, Neil Brennan, said the group of interns joining the bank was bigger than last year, which signalled the importance that CIBC FirstCaribbean attached to the programme. He therefore urged the chosen ones to make the most of the opportunity.

Brennan, who was addressing an orientation ceremony at the bank’s headquarters, Warrens, St. Michael, Barbados, also advised the 40 interns assigned to the Barbados operations, to use the opportunity to figure out what they wanted to do in the long term. He noted that he had studied engineering at university but later switched study to become an actuary before recognising that his strength and preference was working with people in human resources. Therefore, he encouraged the interns to talk with the bank’s employees as well as each other to find out about the experiences of others and gain as much knowledge as possible, since that would help them make career choices.

Earlier, Chief Executive Officer, Gary Brown, had told the interns that their first jobs would not necessarily turn out to be their life long careers, since people at the entry level stage were still figuring out what they wanted to do.
“It is early in your career and you are figuring out things; try to ask yourself where you want to be in five years. You generally have an idea but it is not until you get into the job that you really get to know what the various roles are about,” he said.

Brown told them that when he finished university, he told himself that he would have done anything except banking, but the bank’s CEO said, “Here I am and it is great.”

“You need to have a vision… gravitate to what you are good at. There will be some roles that you are not good at and others that you will be good at… gravitate to what you are good at,” he advised the trainees.

Focussing directly on their internship, the CEO urged them to “grasp this opportunity and do what you are assigned, you will learn something every day; I still do.”

He explained that CIBC FirstCaribbean International was a great bank which was client focussed. “There is no reason for us all to be here except for our clients. No matter what job you do here, whether you are facing the clients or in the back office, everything you do affects the client experience. It is critically important to recognise this,” he said.

Most of the trainees are at the tertiary level of education or have recently completed that stage.

Parents of the students of Alma Parris Memorial Secondary School are not happy with the way they found out about the closing of the institution.

However, Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones, acknowledged that the situation was not handled correctly as someone “jumped the gun” with the news.

His confession came during a brief interview with the media following a meeting at his Ministry yesterday evening. The meeting was held by Ministry officials to inform parents of the school of the next step in their children’s
educational future.

“There’s always a process to follow. Unfortunately, somebody rushed out and put this matter into the public’s face,” he lamented.

The Education Minister expressed that they would have taken the matter to the public after they had their initial discussions and went through the proper procedures, such as informing the school board and the Cabinet and finding solutions to the problems.

“We did some little preliminary things quietly, but somebody went and gush it out all over the place and that did cause some consternation, and that is why parents would find themselves in this situation,” he explained.

Jones noted that in a perfect world, the parents would have been notified and informed before the public even caught wind of the situation, but unfortunately, the reality is that the parents were not informed beforehand which means this is something they needed to deal with now.

The Minister assured that the parents would not have to worry about whether or not their children would continue to be educated as they would have been contacted and informed which school their child would be attending come September.

He explained that they chose three secondary schools - Daryl Jordan Secondary School, Grantley Adams Secondary School and St. George Secondary at which to allocate the students of Alma Parris. He said that there is more than enough space at these schools to accommodate the children based on the low number of students admitted there following the 2017 BSSEE results.

BARBADOS is pleased with the development of the US-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act, which was adopted by the US House of Representatives just one year ago.

Acting Prime Minister Richard Sealy noted that in a relatively short time the legislation was enacted by the President of the United States last December, and the Department of State has delivered on the mandate contained in the legislation to prepare a multi-year strategy, which was released on June 19.

As he delivered remarks at the 241st anniversary of the independence of the United States of America, at the US Embassy, Wildey, St Michael, Sealy said Barbados looks forward to the roll out of the specific initiatives contained in the strategy.

“We are especially pleased that the strategy reflects much of the inputs that were shared through the consultative process involving diplomatic representatives from the region and Caribbean Diaspora groups in the United States.

“Your Government can count on Barbados to participate in the regional effort to implement this strategy, about which we have high expectations.

“Both the Caribbean and the United States stand to benefit from this forward thinking bi-partisan initiative, which is the first of its kind for any region to be executed under the new US Administration,” he said.

The Acting Prime Minister added that the strategy’s six areas of focus includes security, prosperity, energy, diplomatic engagement, education and health, which are consistent, in large measure, with areas of strategic importance for Barbados.

“Its recommendation for annual political dialogue between the US and our region will call for regular high-level political consultations, focusing on all aspects of cooperation and, I believe, it will result in a better understanding of each other and on the peculiar concerns and differentiated challenges we face.

“In particular, Barbados looks forward to the early convening of the Regional Trade and Investment conference highlighted in the strategy. I am confident that this single event will generate significant economic interest and could mobilise resources and ideas to our mutual benefit,” Sealy said.

Meanwhile, in addressing the gathering, Ambassador of the United States of America to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Linda Taglialatela, who also made reference to the Strategic Act, said the U.S Embassy continue to work in tandem with governments in the region to dismantle trafficking and terrorist networks, enhance maritime security, confront violent crime, and increase the sharing of threat information among countries.

“On that point, I commend the Barbados Defence Force for the truly successful execution of Tradewinds 2017.

“This joint security exercise involving 19 nations was a perfect example of our robust and effective partnerships that prepare us to respond to any threat or event,” Ambassador Taglialatela said. (AH)

Professor Velma Newton, Regional Project Director of Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) is of the view that legal practitioners across the region should undergo continual training in order to remain on the cutting edge in the legal world.

Her comments came after the opening ceremony of a company law seminar that took place at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus recently. Newton told The Barbados Advocate, that in the same way doctors and accountants take part in constant training, lawyers must also undergo continuous training. She noted that IMPACT Justice was in the process of completing model legislations, which aimed to provide lawyers with continual legal education.

“Lawyers can be trained in 1960 and still practice law. They are not looking to see the new areas of law that have appeared. This training would be beneficial to both them and the clients. So we’re trying to make this training compulsory throughout the region,” she said.

Newton revealed that most of the Bar Associations have agreed with the idea of continuing legal professional development and added that the bill should be drawn up in another three months and will be taken to CARICOM to be considered as a model bill.

Michele Gibson, Project Team Leader of Justice Sector Projects, Government of Canada revealed that one of the three model bills that was approved by the Legal Affairs Committee for enactment by Member States was developed by the IMPACT Justice project. She explained that the model Community Mediation Bill was meant to lay the groundwork for the sustainability of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms- specifically community mediation services to assist countries in reducing the number of cases headed to the law courts.

She went on to note that competitiveness and coherence in legislative provisions are increasingly important if the Region’s initial vision of a Caribbean Single Market and Economy are to be realised.

“This would allow companies to operate cross-boarder without additional red tape as presently occurs even in jurisdictions with similar legislative structures,” she said.