Established October 1895 See inside Monday February 10, 2020 $1 VAT Inclusive ACCESSCONTINUING education FOR ALL must not only be made for those academically inclined, but for all. Making this statement, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Senator Dr. Romel Springer, said continuing education must foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth, noting this was achievable if areas of focus were linked to the needs of society. “It is therefore absolutely essential that we conduct a critical analysis of our societal, social and economic needs, with the intention of creating programmes which identify and hone the requisite skills to address the challenges we face as a people here in Barbados,” he said. “While the courses offered are varied, there is still some scope, once resources permit, for the inclusion of more general interest and skill-based subjects. This would ensure a greater balance between those areas that currently target teachers and prospective teachers, and those that can target persons who may not want to enter into the teaching profession, but may want to enter the industry,” he stressed. At the time, he was delivering the feature address to the 2020 Graduating Class of the Top Male Student, Bradley Holder, receives his official document from Chair of the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, Dr. Sylvia EDUCATION on Page 3 Henry. China’s approach to tackling new virus lauded THE executive of the May last year, he commended support services have been governor noted that there is discussion panels by leading Association for Barbados the Chinese government on put in place. a wealth of information that experts from all around the China Friendship (ABCF) is how it has been handling the “The World Health can keep persons up to date world; and live reports from throwing its full support crisis situation thus far. Organisation has commended with ongoing efforts being Wuhan and other locations behind the Chinese “We are grateful for the the Chinese authorities on the undertaken by China. within China and abroad. Government and members of measures that the government wealth and pertinence of the “Comprehensive up to “There are videos of new Chinese communities. It comes and the people of the People’s information made publicly the minute information on hospitals being built and as that country grapples Republic of China has taken available. The medical developments with respect equipped, interviews with with containing the spread of to contain the virus within authorities and all related to the novel coronavirus is medical staff on the frontline the novel coronavirus and is China. We are full of agencies in China are in active available to Barbadians from of the fight against the working to find a treatment admiration for the collaboration with a global the China Global Television epidemic and other real-time with a network of scientists extraordinary speed and network of scientists from Network to be found in English coverage of life in China and from across the globe. decisiveness within which leading medical centres in the on MCTV Channel 209 and on how it has been affected by the In a statement issued by quarantines have been US, Europe and around the YouTube. CGTN programmes crisis. Information on the former Governor of the Central implemented, new specialised world, in a race against time to include a daily news virus is also available on the Bank of Barbados, Dr. DeLisle hospitals have been built, find treatment and vaccines conference from Hubei website and Facebook page Worrell, who announced the supplies of food and medicines for the new virus.” Province – the epicentre of of the Chinese Embassy in formation of the ABCF back in have been mobilised and The former Central Bank the virus; data and informed Barbados,” Dr. Worrell said. 2 • Monday February 10, 2020 The Barbados Advocate The Barbados Advocate Monday February 10, 2020 • 3 Parents Erdiston exploring cautioned! online courses By Marsha Gittens ERDISTON Teachers’ be offered online,” she of continuing education DISTRICT Education Training College may said. programmes in Barbados, Officer, Lomer Rock, is soon add another set In preparation for this, while ensuring that the cautioning parents and of offerings to prospec- she revealed training had courses developed were guardians to closely tive students – online begun for a cadre of full- enough to help partici- supervise how their courses. time staff in teaching in pants adapt to future young charges use elec- Addressing the 2020 the online environment, needs, issues and chal- tronic devices such as Graduation Ceremony at “and it is our hope to ex- lenges of our evolving tablets. the College’s grounds on pand this training to our society. His comments came Saturday night, Principal part-time staff, so that Outlining the various as he voiced his agree- Dr.Patricia Saul said tech- some of our continuing ed- courses offered by the ment that technology nology was available to ucation courses could be college, she expressed can be useful, espe- increase access for adults accessed online”. concern that out of the 263 cially to assist students who may find it difficult “This would provide a persons who enrolled in learning concepts on to arrange their schedules wider cadre of persons in- the programme last year, their own. to physically enter classes novative possibilities to re- a mere seven had been “If it is not super- and the institution must alise lifelong learning and males. vised, then students embrace this. reduce their dependence “This is a clear indica- can get distracted and “Through mobile de- on traditional face-to-face tion that our females con- they can spend lots of vices, electronic network- modalities,” she contin- tinue to outdo the males in time on it doing a lot ing, social media and on- ued. terms of accessing contin- of things that are not line courses, adult learn- Saul highlighted only ued education opportuni- connected to their ers can have the opportu- moments earlier that it ties and it might mean education, so it has to nity to learn anytime and was the wish of the educa- that as a college, we may be supervised.” anywhere. Hence, it is our tional institution to con- have to look at some other He added, “But in hope, that in the very near tinue to provide suitable options that may be more terms of students future, some of our contin- structures and mecha- attractive to the males,” Angela Butcher is all smiles after achieving an learning on their own ued education courses can nisms for the development she added. (JMB) Advanced Counselling Degree. and guided discovery, that is where the most important component of it lies, in getting the student to research Push for girls even before they come to a class and also get- ting the student to re- inforce after the lesson to enter STEM has been taught. You BREAK gender stereo- remain for women and can go on YouTube and types that link science to girls in science. you can see the very masculinity and expose Less than 30 per cent of same thing that the young generations to pos- the world’s researchers teacher taught you and itive role models – women are women, with studies you say, ‘Oh, that is engineers, astronauts and showing that women in how it works.’ So the researchers. science, technology, engi- importance is reinforc- That’s the call of Under- neering and mathematics ing and discovery.” Secretary-General of the (STEM) are published Rock spoke on United Nations and less, paid less for their re- the sidelines of last Executive Director of search and do not advance Friday’s presentation UN Women, Phumzile as far as men in their where 28 Class 3 Mlambo-Ngcuka, ahead careers. pupils of Welches of International Day of “We need a dedicated Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Primary School re- Women and Girls in strategy not only for in- Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. ceived tablets. These Science, which will be creasing the representa- were given through the celebrated on Tuesday, tion of women in the tal- gether across sectors to private life in the decades on ‘Technology and Tablet Project of the February 11. ent pipeline for STEM address these challenges. since, and what this Innovation for Gender Aron and Christina She said that science jobs, but also for ensuring As we mark the 25th an- means for the ongoing Equality’, with the aim Foundation. will be essential for decent that they thrive, incen- niversary of the Beijing struggle to achieve gender of catalysing action Rock expressed grat- work and jobs of the fu- tivizing them to remain in Declaration and Platform equality in science. for game-changing ap- itude to the Foundation ture, including in the these high-paying jobs for Action (1995), the most “This is a vital part of proaches that provide new on behalf of the green economy, and it and institutionalising visionary agenda and UN Women’s Generation opportunities to women Education Ministry. He can create a market for organisational cultures roadmap for women’s and Equality campaign, which and girls, while address- lauded the work the women’s innovative ideas that enable women to girls’ rights, we need to re- is assembling six diverse ing barriers to connectiv- Foundation does annu- and products. However, advance in these fields,” flect on the ways in which Action Coalitions to tackle ity, digital inclusion and ally, providing students she is adamant that there she stressed. the rapid spread of digital the unfinished business digital equality,” Mlambo- with tablets. is still a long way to go to “This year, we have an technologies has reshaped of gender equality.