A proactive and not a reactive approach is necessary when it comes to data collection in this island.

This was the advice that Labour Management Advisor at the Barbados Employers Confederation (BEC), Melony James, gave at the REA Envirohealth International – International Labour Organisation’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2017, under the theme of ‘Optimise the Collection and Use of OSH Data’, held recently in the conference room upstairs Sky Mall.

She said that having a proactive approach would ensure that we can prevent accidents and illnesses from occurring in the first place, while a reactive approach means that we are now responding to these incidents after they have taken place.
Furthermore, a change in the focus of the information collected would also result in a change in the mindset of persons who strive to achieve their best, and are therefore are not ashamed to report data because they are reporting on their successes and not their failures.

“In Barbados, we tend to focus on reactive monitoring of data as opposed to proactive monitoring. Proactive data collection focuses on the actions taken to prevent the occurrence of accidents and illnesses, while reactive data collection focuses on the failure as a consequence of the occurrence of accidents and illnesses. A shift in the emphasis of the type of data collected can also lead to a greater contribution to collection of data. If we focus more on what we are doing to ensure safety and less on what we did wrong, we can shift the mindset and create a population of people who want to do well to ensure they can report their successes as opposed to the possible sense of shame attached to data collection.”

The BEC Labour Management Advisor stated that Barbados needs to produce more research, and the research that is carried out is done with the mentality where some departments and sectors do not want to share information with other persons in the same organisation, she said.

James said that if they were to share this information, then this would contribute towards the development of an effective occupational safety and health (OSH) plan and a positive safety and healthy environment.

“As a nation, we have the ability to produce more research, but we currently research in silos and sectoral information remains unshared. The proactive research method can aid in the development of our national OSH plan and creation of a positive safety and health culture. Collaboration on OSH data collection is key, and it is time for all members of the social partnership to recognise our value and contribution to ensuring the success of our national and organisational OSH programmes.”

Government is pressing ahead with plans to merge the National Petroleum Corporation (NPC) and the Barbados National Oil Company Limited (BNOCL).

The disclosure was made yesterday morning in the House of Assembly by Prime Minister, the Rt.Hon. Freundel Stuart, who said that Government intends to secure a multimillion dollar loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to help bring that union to fruition.

He was leading off debate on the National Petroleum Corporation (Amendment) Bill, as he explained that the merger is being “actively pursued” and should become a reality in the not too distant future. The aim of the move, he added, is to improve the operations now performed by the two bodies.

“All of the contours of that determination are being at present explored to ensure that we get it right, but both sides agree that the interests of both entities would be better served by an amalgamation of the two entities,” he said.

Prime Minister Stuart added, “The Cabinet of course addressed that issue and that position is being pursued, and we did all of this of course looking at the unfavourable financial performance of the Corporation; looking at its cash flow difficulties; its inability to vigorously pursue the kind of mains expansion programme that the Government thinks desirable, and of course in so doing, expanding its customer base. We had to take into account its inability to service a debt it owes to the BNOCL, which at present stands at over $11 million, and its inability too, to service, maintain, replace and/or reposition old and unsecured pipeline infrastructure.”

According to the St. Michael South Member of Parliament, “quite a bit” of the natural gas pipeline in this country dates back to the 1940s and 1950s.

He made the point while drawing on the experience of the Barbados Water Authority, noting that the country knows the impact that aged pipeline infrastructure can do to an entity’s capacity to supply its product. With that in mind, he revealed that in respect of the loan from the IDB, the US$34 million will be used to help address the issue of institutional strengthening and capacity building as efforts are made to make the two institutions one and to help facilitate much-needed upgrades to the existing systems.

“It is also supposed to deal with the issue of energy security since the Government is committed to the use of cleaner fuel, and it is intended to make sure that our access to
energy, particularly renewable energy, is sustainable,” he stated.

Prime Minister Stuart indicated that the first disbursement of the loan is scheduled within the next three months, once the conditions have been satisfied. (JRT)

THE Barbados National Oil Company (BNOC) should be rebranded to reflect a renewable energy focus.

St. George South Member of Parliament, Dwight Sutherland, made this clear as he spoke in the Lower House yesterday on the debate on the National Petroleum Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

The Opposition member said that there had been a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy worldwide and Barbados must have a facility which pushed solar and wind energy.

“BNOC has missed the boat and needs to be rebranded as a renewable energy company. I have said in this Chamber before that there are oil-rich nations Saudi Arabia, Qatar and all of these nations that are leaving their crude oil in the ground and are focusing more on renewable energy, but we are spending so much foreign exchange on oil importation and we have the facility to build out the renewable energy capability and capacity in this country and we are sitting down on it for the past nine years.

“The BNOC should by now be the leader in renewable energy and I make no apologies in saying this as opposed to the (Barbados) Light and Power. There is no reason why you should not have a 10-20 megawatt wind farm by BNOC and utilising local investors to buy into the plant led by BNOC. Foreign investment could have been 20 per cent, local investment 50 per cent and utilities could be 30 per cent. That is where the Barbados National Oil Company should be focusing… Seeing themselves as an energy company and taking the lead. You should be leading the utility company, not the utility company leading you,” he asserted.

Earlier in his presentation, Sutherland also questioned the drop in crude oil production in the island, noting that in the early 2000s, around 1 000 barrels were being produced a day, but that figure had dropped below 700 barrels since 2014. (JMB)

Research has revealed that parents will outlive their children in the 21st century.

This is according to Canadian Dietitian, Nutrition and Obesity Expert, Helene Charlebois, who was speaking during a nutrition workshop held yesterday at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

“For the first time in history, if you have a child, your chances of seeing your child die before you are higher,” she warned.

Charlebois noted that this is largely due to the fact that children are not consuming healthy foods, with junk food now a normal part of their diet.

Stating that this information should serve as a wake-up call for parents, Charlebois revealed that the child obesity bracket is rapidly growing and parents need to consider ways to reduce it.

“Children are confused. There’s junk food everywhere. There’s junk in schools and at home so children are receiving mixed messages,” she lamented.

Charlebois suggested that parents look to implement a few strategies that would help reduce the incidences of obesity in children. She explained that she would like to see an action plan introduced in Barbadian homes where parents completely ban the consumption of junk food within the household.

“If you want to get ice-cream, go out and get it, no problem. If you want chips, go to the movies; and only eat junk foods on special occasions,” she said.

She explained that by doing this, children become accustomed to consuming healthy food on a regular basis and link junk foods to special and rare occasions.

NOT even the rain got in the way of students and staff of the Grantley Adams Memorial School from marching into nearby communities to tell the residents about the positive things happening at the institution, yesterday.

Through the school’s annual district march, led by the Lodge School Cadet Corps band, the students demonstrated to the community that there are positive, uplifting activities taking place at the St. Joseph-based institution, which contributes to the building of a well-rounded student.

Students, armed with banners, represented the school’s Reading Club, 4-H Club, Student Council, Inter-School Christian Fellowship, the choir, Parent-Teacher Association, and athletes.

Principal Dennis Browne told The Barbados Advocate, that the march was the students’ way of saying that their aim is to win the residents’ hearts.

“And we will continue to do whatever is necessary to win the hearts of the residents of the community, because we cannot survive without their support,” he said.

Browne said while the school is always seeking ways to work closely with members of the community, on various projects, Grantley Adams Memorial has established a close bond with the St. Joseph Parish Church, where the church’s leaders visit the school at the beginning and end of every school term to pray God’s blessings on the students and staff.

“But in addition to that, you can come here any weekend or any evening after school and members of the community are either using the school’s playing field, or the hard court, or other parts of the school to conduct classes or some sort or some other activity. So, the school is heavily used by members of the community,” he said. (AH)

Barbados has not given up on exploring its waters for oil and gas.

So says Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart. Piloting the debate in the Lower House yesterday morning on the National Petroleum Corporation (Amend-ment) Bill, PM Stuart told the Lower House that while his Government is committed to the creation of a green economy in this country, to help reduce our heavy dependence on fossil fuels and effect “strategic changes” in the island’s energy mix, they have also not given up on offshore exploration.

“There are positive signs in our offshore acreage; that’s why we have to be very careful how we address issues like this, because we are not pronouncing against the use of fossil fuels absolutely, since we expect to be able to produce from our offshore acreage. But what we hope to be able to do, is use any profits we are able to generate from our offshore acreage to reinforce what we are trying to do here onshore in terms of the use of renewable energy and the diversification of our energy mix, in such a way that our dependence on the use of fossil fuels would not be as bias and as lopsided as it has been,” he said.

He made the point while noting that fossil fuel production locally, standing at 700 barrels per day, has not been even close to what the country needs on a day-to-day basis. As such, he explained that the country has to import fuel to get to the island’s 11 000 barrel requirement.

“So our dependence on the use of fossil fuels, as I said, is a lopsided dependence and has been a lopsided dependence for the better part of our history; and our efforts at production so we wouldn’t have to import as much as we do, those efforts have been, while not lukewarm, the results have been lukewarm since we have not been able since I think the year 1999, or there about when we had a spike in local production, to do anything significant by way of producing oil here in Barbados,” he added.

The Prime Minister’s comments came then, as he said that Government is committed to the pursuit of certain strategies in respect of the energy sector, including the intensification of efforts aimed at maximising the production of crude oil and nat-ural gas, through local production onshore and offshore. This, he stated, could involve national, regional or extra-regional sources as well as local interest in production abroad. Additionally, he said they are looking at the development and implementation of strategies which ensure continued access to adequate and reliable supplies of the product at the best prices and minimising the incidence of transactional costs across the supply chain.

“As I indicated, we are looking at diversifying the energy mix to make natural gas and other non-petroleum-based fuels, such as biodiesel and ethanol, more dominant in the economy and this all has to do with our commitment to the production and use of cleaner energy, all part of our commitment to the creation of a green economy in Barbados,” he stated.

The Prime Minister said his Government is also committed to the island-wide introduction and maintenance of energy conservation and energy efficiency measures, aimed at maximising the island’s energy uses; and the ongoing promotion and management of policies and strategies designed to ensure that renewable energy plays a progressively more significant role in the economy going forward. (JRT)

Barbadians could soon be paying more for natural gas, as the concessional rates being charged by the National Petroleum Corporation (NPC) are not only preventing the expansion of the natural gas service throughout the island, but could put the State-owned entity in the red within another year.

Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart, leading off debate on the National Petroleum Corporation (Amendment) Bill, told the Lower House that the rates for commercial and industrial customers have not been touched since 1994 and domestic rates have been the same since 2002. Moreover, he stated that the charge to domestic customers is only netting around $450 000 in revenue annually, while the bulk of the revenue, upwards of 80 per cent, which comes from the commercial and industrial customers, is used to subsidise the domestic market.

PM Stuart also noted that only 25 per cent of households in Barbados have access to natural gas and that in fact the service is only available in eight of the 11 parishes. This, he pointed out, has resulted in repeated calls from Barbadians to have the service put in their communities. But, while acknowledging the need to expand the service, he was adamant that it can only be achieved if the Corporation has access to the finances needed to execute it.

“If we are to correct this situation, rates have to be made more realistic, they have to remain concessional, but they have to be made a little more realistic. And I am advised by the NPC officialdom, that at existing rates they’re only able to every year increase the access of domestic customers by 350… But the most marginal of increases would put them in a position where they could add an additional 500 per year, to give a grand total of 850 additional households increase per year if they could get a marginal increase in their rates from what they were at since the year 2002; and this is not an issue that we think is negotiable,” he stated.

He made the point clear as he noted that if the NPC is not granted some level of increase soon, it is projecting a loss for 2018 of approximately $4.7 million. PM Stuart said the NPC cannot be projecting losses of such magnitude in circumstances where it has only reached 25 per cent of the households to date.

“Seventy-five per cent of the households in Barbados are being made to do without access to natural gas, in spite of the fact that upwards of 20 000 households have been benefiting, that too is something in the nature of an injustice that has to be corrected.

And the policy of the Government and the policy of the NPC is to try to reach, as far as possible, that entire domestic market rather than being limited to just 25 per cent of that market. But none of that can be done unless the NPC can pay its way more comfortably than is the case today,” he affirmed.

With that in mind, he said they are expecting that with the changes to the NPC Act, residents of St. Lucy, St. John and St. Joseph, who remain without access to natural gas, “will be justified in having their hopes raised” about getting the service in the near future.

His comments came as he explained that the amendment seeks to not only include natural gas in the definition of petroleum, but will among other things, give the Minister responsible for the NPC the ability to make regulations prescribing the fees to be paid for the installation, connection, examination or inspection of a meter, a natural gas pipeline or natural gas supply line to any premises; or the rates to be paid for the supply of natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and any other premises. (JRT)

It was an opportunity to purchase clothing and other household items when the Christ Church South Constituency Council held its Health Fair and Vendors Market.

Persons yesterday converged in the car park opposite Granny’s Restaurant in Oistins for this all-day event.

Minister of Health, John Boyce, who was one of the attendees, thanked the Christ Church South Constituency Council and the Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development for sponsoring the day’s activity.

The Member of Parliament for Christ Church South added that the Health Fair and Vendors Market is aimed at further promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship within the constituency.

“We try to encourage some level of economic activity among our people from the actual constituency of Christ Church and also the general public of Barbados; people who are interested in these kinds of activities – to sell some of their produce or product, so it is an activity which we encourage. We have done a number of these activities as a Council, so today is just another effort.”

Within the car park there were approximately fifty stalls. These were manned by individuals selling items including plants, local delicacies and drinks.

Attendees also had the chance while there, to have blood pressure and other health checks done by representatives from the Diabetes Association of Barbados and the Randall Phillips Polyclinic. Officers from the Royal Barbados Police Force’s Oistins branch were also present to share useful information about different types of harmful drugs. Those interested in enjoying a relaxing massage could additionally do so while at the booth of Michita’s Spa and Massage
School. (MG)

Just after midnight patrons took up every vantage point at the George Washington House to witness the band launch of Fantasy Barbados for Crop Over 2017.

The Fantasy theme for this year asks its patrons to relive the “Renaissance” of Crop Over, therefore, they presented “Kuzaliwa – The Rebirth”.

Putting the place in a nice mood were the DJs – Peter Coppin and Monsta Piece – before handing over to MC Vayne for the presentation of costumes.

Opening up with some Fire breathing, there was constant applause and murmur for each section that was revealed on the night, as Fantasy Barbados showcased each section which will be hitting the road this year.

With an explosion of feathers and colour, Fantasy took you on a trip to Africa with the “Chewa” section, which had earthy tones and was designed by Flora Nabena.

Following on from Africa, they moved to Europe – with the Renaissance also designed by Nabena.

Moving across the Atlantic Ocean, they then took the patrons to North America for “Kisusq”, which brought a change from the soft tones to the different shades of red. This section was designed by Kirk Thomas.

Moving along the next section was South America – “Totec”, which gave the feel of the rainforest and its vibrant colours and environment; filled with green and the multiple colours one can encounter in a rainforest. This section was designed by Rhia Babb.

Kirk Thomas was the designer for the final two sections which were Antarctica – “Aurora”, and Asia – “Samsara”.

By Marsha Gittens
The issue of adolescence, cyber abuse and its implications will come under the microscope in coming weeks when the first in a
series of workshops is rolled out.
Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development, Steven Blackett, made this
disclosure giving the start date for this initiative as May 17.
He further told the gathering at Friday’s Child Care Board’s National Children’s Service at the Abundant Life Assembly that the first workshop will be held in St. Peter.

“The Child Care Board will also address the issue of adolescence, cyber abuse and its implications by conducting a series of workshops for children in Class 4 in primary schools and children from the secondary schools.

“These workshops will be held in the north, the south and central parts of Barbados and will be sponsored by UNICEF.”

Friday’s service was the first activity for this month – Child Month – and it was attended by government officials and students and teachers from schools across the island, as well as by students and teachers from St. Joseph de Cluny, a visiting school from Martinique.

Several other activities are planned throughout this month. Sharing some of the activities to be conducted by the Child Care Board, Blackett stated it “will continue its national public education on the theme of, “Breaking The Silence Of Child Abuse”. This will be done through its collaboration with its stakeholders mainly [United Nations Children’s Fund] UNICEF, the West Indies Cricket Board, churches, the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, community-based organisations and other government departments.

In addition, it will continue its preventive work in the primary schools with the "Safe Touch" programme as well as the community outreach through schools [Parent- Teacher Associations] PTAs, churches and community groups.”

The theme for Child Month is “Love Our Children: Today’s Generation, Tomorrow’s World.” (MG)

Youth across the island are being encouraged to “always strive for excellence”.

Such was the advice of Chairman of the Child Care Board (CCB), Kenneth Knight, while addressing Friday’s Child Care Board’s National Children’s Service at the Abundant Life Assembly.

This service commenced activities for May, which is being observed locally as “Child Month”. All activities for the period are being held under the theme, “Love Our Children: Today’s Generation, Tomorrow’s World”.

Knight further urged youngsters to “make your family, schools and communities proud. Assist your classmates and peers wherever possible. Be the light that shines wherever you go. The world is your platform for success however, be mindful that the road may not always be smooth. They may be persons who want to deter you from doing what is right but if you keep the faith and remember that God loves you and loves you unconditionally and that all will be well.”

Speaking about the day’s service he said it “sets the tone for the remainder of the programme and it causes us to reflect on our actions for and with children as a nation and as individuals. It also provides the opportunity for us to seek God’s blessing and guidance in all that we do”.

Knight also underscored the importance of children being given the tools they will need to be positive citizens who will carry this nation forward.

“Children are the life blood of any nation. They represent the future and as the theme implies they are today’s generation and as a result, it is incumbent upon us as adults, caregivers, teachers, parents, policymakers and children’s advocates to ensure that the public and all other agenda for children is one that is grounded in the Convention of the Rights of the Child, and one that is evolving and developmentally appropriate,” he stated. (MG)

Reverend Anne Hamilton-Cutting, co-founder of Action for Justice, challenged the community to stand up and speak out against issues that affect children of the society.

Hamilton-Cutting’s challenge was issued at the beginning of the Action for Justice march that began in Heroes’ Square yesterday morning. Under the theme, “It takes a community to protect a child”, the march was meant to empower the society to make a difference in the lives of children as well as bring awareness and sensitisation to the abuse and exploitation of children.

After quoting Nelson Mandela: “Our children are our greatest treasure. They are our future. Those who abuse them tear at the fabric of our society and weaken our nation”, Hamilton-Cutting expressed that this was the reason it was important for people to stand up against the injustices that children face in their lives.

She noted that child abuse “requires a co-ordinated approach, with a range of stakeholders working together to ensure that all children are protected and safeguarded in Barbados”.

She reported that a 2009 study revealed that the issue of sexual abuse of children is “a whole of a societal problem” and noted that everyone is potentially affected by this problem. The study also revealed that over 85 per cent of all perpetrators are known by their abusers, which seems to attribute to the under-reporting of child abuse in the society.

Additionally, Hamilton-Cutting noted that although more girls were abused than boys, the number of boys being abused was growing and added that since boys are more reluctant than girls to disclose sexual abuse, the true number of child abuse cases is unknown.

Action for Justice plans to do more than the march as the Co-Founder revealed that they aim to partner with Genesis Law Chambers to host a series of legal clinics, which is meant to increase sensitisation and awareness in every community in Barbados. Additionally, Action for Justice will also be offering legal assistance to victims of abuse.

WHEN dealing with a child who has been deviant, our first course of action should not be to jail or detain them, rather we need to get to the root of the problem and deal with it.

This comment came from Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite, as he spoke at the start of the Action for Justice march against child abuse, which began in Heroes’ Square yesterday morning.

“We need to focus more on what causes our children to behave the way that they’re behaving; and as a society we need to respond appropriately,” he said.

Brathwaite announced that he was looking to formalise the informal relationship between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation; and include the Parent-Teacher Associations, the judiciary and the unions, so that they are better able to respond to the needs of children.

“I don’t believe for one minute what we’re faced with is beyond us as a country; we just need to understand that the challenges we have are not the challenges we had in the ’60s and ’70s. Our children are exposed to more things that are not Barbadian and exposed to things on the Internet that we were not exposed to as children, so we have to respond differently,” he said.

Brathwaite noted that it was for that reason he believed we needed to work as a community to figure out ways to get to the root of the problem that each child faces and ways to help them overcome them.

If parents or guardians are having difficulty with their child or ward, the Attorney General suggested that they call either him, the Child Care Board, Action for Justice or the Royal Barbados Police Force, so that they can do everything in their power to help the child so that he or she does not have to come into contact with the Criminal Justice System.

A Cabinet Minister is chiding CARICOM for not doing enough for its member states as it relates to protecting the financial services sector, and he argues this lack of attention is doing the region a grave disservice.

Speaking with The Barbados Advocate recently, Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development, Donville Inniss, reflecting on last month’s blacklisting of some Caribbean islands, including Barbados, by the American state of Illinois, contended that the regional grouping has not taken financial services as seriously as it should, but he is adamant that it is not too late to give the area the attention it deserves. Inniss expressed his concern as he noted how easily and without due process Caribbean countries are being blacklisted, and how those actions have and continue to stifle international trade and international business within the jurisdictions and across the region.

“Financial services have been critical to the survival of our economies in the region. They have jumped recently on the bandwagon of correspondent banking issues, and that is a serious issue, but correspondent banking cannot be divorced from the broader issues of international finance and international business. So you’re not getting the region coming together to come to a common understanding of the broader issues, and to craft the appropriate responses,” he lamented.

Inniss added, “So we are still 15 nations going into the international fora, grappling with an understanding of the issues and then perhaps 15 divergent positions on the matter, and I have been saying publicly and privately in regional meetings that we really need to come together.”

The International Business Minister, adamant that the international business and financial services sector is more important than many of the other issues being addressed by the regional grouping, warned that if greater focus is not placed on the sector, the economies of the region could be in jeopardy.

“This is an issue that affects the survival of each economy in the region. So our health-care systems in the region are at risk of not being adequately financed if we do not get it right in international finance and business. Our agricultural sector would be under immense pressure if we don’t get it right in these areas, but it is like pulling teeth to get the folks in Georgetown, Guyana to understand the issues and I would go as far as to suggest that I do not think the leaders in the region appreciate the gravity of the situation,” he stated.

A passionate Inniss went on to say that he has been asking for some time now for a regional secretariat for financial services, but lamented that the idea has not received any traction. He made the point as he disclosed that in his bid to have such an entity established, he even found a Barbadian who has committed US$500 000 towards the establishment of such a secretariat; but he contended, the idea has remained just that.

“All we are asking is for two or three people, but it is not the infrastructure alone, it is to get an understanding across the region as to the importance of the international financial services sector. So today people are making a lot of noise about correspondent banking and such like, but if we don’t get it right and stop countries from blacklisting us, we are going to have a greater fight than correspondent banking issues on our hands,” the International Business Minister warned. (JRT)

AS Barbados joins the rest of the world, from May 8-14, in commemorating the Fourth United Nations Global Road Safety Week, leaders of religious denominations across the island are being urged to encourage their congregants to pray and fast with a focus on road safety.

The call has come from President of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA), Sharmane Roland-Bowen, who contended that with 14 road fatalities recorded for the year so far, society needs to take stock of the situation and see what can be done to ensure no one else loses their life on our roads this year. Her comments came as she told The Barbados Advocate that the theme of this year’s Global Road Safety Week is ‘Save Lives: #SlowDown’, and she is urging motorists in general to reduce their speed.

She made the point while noting that speed is said to be a predominating factor in most fatalities recorded worldwide. According to Roland-Bowen, international statistics show that one-third of the road fatalities in high-income countries are attributed to speed, and that figure is half, she stated, in respect of middle- and low-income countries.

“But I want to make it abundantly clear that speeding does not always necessarily mean faster than the speed limit, which is excessive speed; it is also driving too fast for the existing conditions. So that means if the road is wet and you do not slow down you are speeding; if you are approaching blind corners and curves and you do not slow down, you are also driving too fast for the conditions, and that is inappropriate speed. So there is a distinction that persons need to be aware of,” she indicated.

To that end, the road safety advocate is calling for officers of the Royal Barbados Police Force to be more vigilant and enforce the law where persons are caught speeding. Moreover, she said that the local legislation has to be looked at to ensure that persons can be fined or brought before the court for the use of inappropriate speed.

“In other countries, people are prosecuted for driving at inappropriate speeds and following vehicles too close and these are measures that can be put in place here to turn things around and make our roads safer. As an Association, we also believe that where there are blind corners and dangerous bends, advisory speed limits should be posted in those areas, not just the frequent bends signs, we would like to see signs with recommended speeds to alert motorists on how to safely manoeuvre that roadway,” she added.

Pointing out also that Barbados, like other countries, committed to be a part of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, which is aimed at stabilising and reducing road traffic deaths around the world, she maintained that the country has a duty to contribute to the achievement of that goal. She said while the country is small, it can still play its part, but it will require all road users to get on board.

“We might be looking and saying that our record of fatalities is small compared to other countries, but in such a small society such as ours, each and every one of us is touched by someone who loses their life, and given our size, the possibility of it being someone we know, a relative, a workmate or a friend, is very real. So we need to play our part because 2020 is almost here,” she noted. (JRT)

THE Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate for St. Philip South, Indar Weir, is accusing the ruling party of neglecting the people of that constituency.

Weir said he is concerned about the high unemployment rate in the constituency, along with the high degree of people who have fallen below the poverty line and are struggling to make basic ends meet.

Speaking to the media yesterday afternoon, in St. Martins, during the BLP’s rubbing shoulders event, Weir declared that he has seen people living in squalor, noting that the neglect is so much that people are completely disillusioned, and are finding it very difficult to come to terms with what is happening with the political system in Barbados.

“It is a task that calls for commitment and a task for a representative to come through the constituency and see what is happening and have a heart. Pay some attention to the people who have supported you and placed you where you are.

“You are not placed in Parliament for yourself. You were placed in Parliament because you have committed to help people. Elective politics certainly is not about self. Elective politics is about how can I help people to have a better way of life, how can I help people to deliver themselves to be able to move from suffering, to a place where they can find comfort.”

Weir also stressed that he was particularly worried about the small farmers in that constituency, who are not being facilitated in a manner through which they can support themselves, and create employment opportunities for other constituents.

He also noted that the Member of Parliament for the area, Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite, has not used his position to help the people he represents to better their lives.

“You can make all the excuses about the economy and your hands are tied, but when people are willing to help themselves, it makes representation a lot easier, simply because all you have to do is go in there and help facilitate them.”

He said in his opinion, agriculture is one of the means through which the economy can grow, people can be empowered and their entrepreneurial capacity developed.

“It concerns me dearly, that we have a constituency like this where we can see people who are so willing to participate in a process of health growth, health support, health development and also self-support and we cannot come to terms with the fact that through agriculture, people can provide for their families, reduce crime, because once people can grow their own food, be able to help themselves, people do not have to resort to crime,” he said.

Weir vowed that if elected to represent the people of St. Philip South, he would place regularising the living conditions of people in the constituency, especially those squatters in Rock Hall, as a priority.

“We have to find a mature way to fix this problem. We have to work with the people over there and we have to let them know that they are people too and that if they can’t help themselves, this Barbados Labour Party administration if given the opportunity, this candidate, Indar Weir, will step in and make sure we can help regularise the lives of those people over there and bring a suitable solution, so that all can exist in this constituency comfortable,” Weir said. (AH)

Transitioning from primary to secondary school is often a difficult period for students and as such steps must be put in place to make this process as smooth as possible.

This is one of the major reasons behind the Ministry of Home Affairs’ ‘Winners’ Circle: Making the Right Choice’ programme, which sees Class Four primary school students attending several workshops to help them understand what is expected as they head into secondary school.

Commending the programme, which is now in its ninth cycle, Margaret Grant, President of the Barbados Association of Guidance Counsellors – which is one of the partners of the project, highlighted that the more children are settled upon entering secondary school, the better it is for everyone.

“Leaving primary school, students can have some fear and anxiety and can face numerous changes,” she said, outlining that for some children moving from being the most senior student to the most junior was often a shock.

“It is not just a physical move away from primary school, but an emotional one and if the emotional separation is not done seamlessly, you will find then when they get into secondary school, they will not settle and that is one of the reasons why as counsellors we find it critical to be involved in this programme,” she added.

Addressing the press launch of the programme last Thursday at the ministry’s Wildey office, Grant stressed that society must move away from the concept of ‘good school, bad school’ as this could have a psychological impact, especially in the latter case.

“The transition process must help them to overcome loneliness, shyness, how to succeed in secondary school academically, socially and emotionally and also in terms of building personal and life skill development,” she pointed out. (JMB)

Guidance counsellor of the St. Michael’s Secondary School, Margaret Grant, has encouraged parents, primary school teachers and principals to give their graduating students “A Survival Kit” as a part of their graduating tokens.

Grant, who co-wrote the book “Entering Secondary School– A Survival Kit for Students” with Shauntee Walters, also a guidance counsellor, told The Barbados Advocate in a recent interview that she believed the book should be given to each student upon graduation, because it contains valuable information that could help with their transition to secondary school.

“We find that some schools only give it to their top students, but we believe that everyone deserves to experience the book in its entirety,” she said.

Grant revealed that having worked with children for a number of years, she realised that when primary school children transitioned to secondary school, they were not ready for the academic load that they were about to encounter.

“They are not emotionally comfortable; and then with all of these changes that they have to adapt to, both social and physical, a new system, and being separated from their friends and best friends, makes it hard for them to be comfortable enough to be focused on their work,” she explained.

Grant said that because of this restlessness, much of the work done in class “goes over their heads” and they are left behind, which means they would have to play “catch up” in class and eventually make their time at school a stressful one. She proposed having students use these books to help them combat their inevitable restlessness, so that they can have a seamless and successful transition into secondary school.

Grant revealed that since the first publication in 2009, they have had a new edition published last year.

“We added three new chapters in this new edition, because we realised they were important issues that needed to be addressed, such as bullying and making sure students understood the importance of saving their money from a young age,” she said.

THE Ocean Hotels group has cemented itself as a leader in training and human resource development in the tourism and hospitality industry.

This was underscored with the recent accreditation of the Ocean Two Resort, one of three hotels in the group, as an Assessment Centre for National and Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (NVQs and CVQs) in collaboration with the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET Council).

“We place great emphasis on employee development, and having an assessment centre in the Ocean Hotels Group makes us proud to be standard bearers, both locally and regionally. We are extremely proud of this achievement,” said Patricia Dass, the Group General Manager.

Other properties making up the Ocean Hotels Group are the Sea Breeze Hotel and South Beach Hotel, and last week a ceremony was staged at the Ocean Two Resort, based at Dover Christ Church, to recognise the establishment of the Assessment Centre offering Level 2 CVQs in Customer service in the tourism industry.

Minister of Labour, Senator Esther Byer-Suckoo, Chairman of the TVET Council, Dr. Hensley Sobers and Executive Director, Henderson Eastmond, were among those attending the ceremony, and Education and Tourism executives reported that the programme was the first step before various other programmes, for National and Caribbean Vocational Qualifications were rolled out for employees of the Ocean Hotels Group, to enhance their personal and professional skills.

Dass praised General Manager, Paul Collymore, Special Projects Co-ordinator, Jenise Hurley and Training Officer, Megan Jordan, for their work and commitment in working with the TVET Council to establish the centre, and also in developing the curriculum.

Over the coming year, she said the programme will be rolled out across the entire Ocean Hotels group, and they were in the process of preparing the curriculum for other qualifications, such as Bar Service Level 1 & 2; Food and Drink Service Level 1 & 2; Food Preparation and Cookery Level 1 & 2; Housekeeping Level 1 & 2; Leadership Level 2 & 3; Management Level 2 & 3 and Reception Level 1 & 2.

Minister of Labour, Dr. Byer-Suckoo, praised the Ocean Hotels group for making the progressive step and investing in employee development, and urged other businesses on the island to follow their example.

Executive Director of the TVET Council, Eastmond also lauded the management of Ocean Two for undertaking the bold move to train its own employees, and said the Council was looking forward to working closely with the Resort as a learning centre, while seeking to establish higher level qualifications across the hospitality industry.

“Beyond Level 2, we have a Level 3 in Commercial Food Preparation; Bakery Chef Level 3; Sous Chef Level 4, which is a degree level; Housekeeping Levels 1 to 3, which is housekeeping supervision and Level 4 in house-keeping management,” he said.

Eastmond added: “We at the TVET Council are committed to life-long learning, and we are committed to strengthening existing sectors that Barbados depend heavily on.”

THE Norman Niles and the Life of Barbados roundabouts are Barbados’ ‘Most Attractive Roundabouts’.

This announcement was made last Friday when the winners of the inaugural Barbados Horticultural Society’s (BHS) Roundabout Beautification Competition were revealed.

Other winning traffic circles included: The Warrens Roundabout and the St. Lucy’s Church Roundabout, which tied for the prize of ‘Best Use Of Drought Tolerant Plants’. Meanwhile, the prize for ‘Most Colourful Urban Roundabout’ went to the Nita Barrow Roundabout.

Both the sponsors and the individuals responsible for the upkeep of traffic circles were awarded during last Friday’s ceremony.

The Norman Niles Roundabout is sponsored by Harris Paints and is maintained by Jonathan Walcott of Jajaba Landscaping Services, while the Life of Barbados roundabout is sponsored by Sagicor and its upkeep is done by Lawns and Landscapes. Lawns and Landscapes is also responsible for the Nita Barrow Roundabout, which is sponsored by The Travel House.

The Warrens Roundabout ,on the other hand, is sponsored by Simpson Motors Limited and is maintained by Nature Care. Meanwhile, the St. Lucy’s Church Roundabout is sponsored by Arawak Cement Company Limited and is maintained by Richard Corbin.

BHS’ contest was judged on April 5th, and it was funded by the Peter Moore’s Trust. Competition participants were marked in four categories, and these were: Use of drought tolerant plants to increase the sustainability of the landscaping, diversity of plants, attractiveness of design and general condition or health of plants.

Though expressing disappointment at the level of interest shown in the competition, Second Vice-President of the BHS, Dr. Frances Chandler, said she is hopeful that the contest has simulated more interest in the upkeep of the roundabouts across the island. She also shared her hope that it would encourage sponsorship of those traffic circles which are not sponsored. (MG)