Bridgetown.
The challenges, needs and contributions of private primary and secondary schools in Barbados will come under the microscope during this month and into the next school year 2013-2014, as officials of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation tour a number of these facilities.
This was made clear recentlyas Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry, Senator Harry Husbands toured Unique High School in Dayrells Road, Christ Church.
Senator Husbands, who holds responsibility for both primary and secondary private schools, expressed pleasure at the fact that within the touring party were two former students of Unique School, namely Emmanuel Joseph of Barbados Today and O'Neal Prescod, an Administrative Officer within his Ministry and said: "That is a tribute to the fine work and fine contribution that Unique [High School] has made to the educational system in Barbados over the years and in discussion with the principal and officials from the Ministry we are just trying to explore ways in which that unique contribution can continue."
When queried as to whether it was the Ministry's intention to increase the current subvention to the school, Senator Husbands said: "We are doing this just to become fully aware of the needs, challenges and the contribution of the private educational sector to the educational system in Barbados. At some point down the road that may become an issue, but it is not central to our view and our plans in the future."
The Parliamentary Secretary told journalists that one area which he was keen on exploring was how Barbados could be made "a centre of excellence for both primary and secondary private education.
"There are a lot of people who want to send their children to Barbados for both primary and secondary education and [we must think] howcan we make these schools and this aspect of our educational system a centre of excellence and a generator of critical foreign exchange," Husbands said.
"Some of the schools in the private sector already do the international baccalaureate, which is even of greater importance in making Barbados a centre of international excellence for private education in the primary and secondary sector, and I think that we in the Ministry would need to explore how much further that we can take that [and] what is necessary in order to develop it all in the interest of the promotion of Barbados," he added.
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