News
TCI: EU tours and praises projects funded; Largest Education sector investor at $21 Million USD
The $21 million dollar investment of the European Union into the public education sector of the Turks and Caicos Islands was to ensure access of more children to quality and diverse learning – a transformation – which was on display for the visiting Ambassador from the EU Delegation; in country June 20-23rd, 2021.
“We have come here today, to acknowledge the significant marker in the very constructive and fruitful partnership we’ve been building up over the years between the European Union and the Turks and Caicos Islands, lately in particular in the field of education,” said Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen, EU Delegation Ambassador in addressing an audience of school faculty and students, the project’s contractor and high level government officials.
A site tour and plaque unveiling ceremony was held at the newly constructed Thelma Lightbourne Primary school in Long Bay, Providenciales. The school opened following the 2021 Easter break when the new government relaxed restrictions. It allowed children – across the country – to resume in person learning or to incorporate a hybrid approach after Covid-19 forced the dramatic closure of schools a year earlier.
For the past four years, the TCI Ministry of Education has been drawing from the EDF-11 Fund. A fund initially granted for the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2013; earmarked to Education as a boost to build capacity in schools, which are often oversubscribed.
“It is a very important day for me to see the result or at least one of the results, the European Union has wanted to do and to support here in the country,” the Ambassador added, “What has been done and what is in the making for the future, it is the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is the former government, it is the current government, all the stakeholders, the teachers, the staff at the school and anyone involved in the education sector with our program; they’re the ones to be applauded. What we did from the European Union side, was sign a cheque, giving support, accompanying a process which was really a process of the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Today, the Thelma Lightbourne Primary School stands as a tangible symbol of European support of students in the British overseas territory.
Originally from Belgium, Ambassador Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen, was appointed by the EU in September 2020 and is stationed at the EU Delegation office in Kingston Jamaica; H.E Van Steen, with 25-years diplomatic experience is the ambassador to Jamaica, Belize, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In her first ever visit to TCI, Ambassador Marianne Van Steen had high praises for the destination and high anticipation for the two-school tour which would also take her into the island of South Caicos.
“We will support what we think is important and that is indeed what we did and I am very happy to see that indeed we have done something good.”
The student of Thelma Lightbourne Primary delivered a profound poem, ‘Hey Black Child’ by award winning writer Useni Eugene Perkins.
Education Minister Rachel Taylor was moved by the piece and moved by the premises and acknowledged the work to get to completion.
“I want to take this opportunity right now to commend the former Minister of Education, the Hon Akierra Missick whose vision this was and to also give props to the former government, who actually caused this project to materialize. And then again to our government for being here to unveil; so you see consistently must develop throughout and we all must give credit where credit is due.”
Also on hand was patron of the school, Mrs. Thelma Lightbourne, a 40-year educator; Hon. Akierra Missick, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development; Hon Josephine Connolly, the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Heritage; Hon Kyle Knowles, Member of Parliament for Wheeland and the project’s contractor: JaMalco Ltd, owned by Jermaine Malcolm.
“We have become for the education sector, I think, the biggest donor with 17.52 million, that’s $20 or $21million USD. It was not just because we were wanting to increase access to education for all children of the island(s) by constructing this school and refurbishing or renovating or improving other schools but in the Government’s sector reform program we also wanted to support the quality of the education by making sure the teachers are being trained and by making sure there is a better match between what the country needs in terms of labour and what the country can offer,” explained H.E. Van Steen.
Her Excellency commended Ministry of Education for now establishing a plan toward full activation of a Technical and Vocational institute.
The ladies toured the school, approvingly. The tour followed the plaque unveil, which in sophisticated black and gold is embedded in the wall of the school’s entry way. He plaque reminds students now and into the future of the generosity and support of the European Union.
“I am very happy to see the school, I am very happy to hear that the access to about 200 to 300 students is now guaranteed,” said the Ambassador, who applauded the room made for Special needs children.
“It looks state of the art, and I have no doubt it is. It looks amazing. I am particularly happy that indeed there are also special facilities foreseen for children with special needs and that is very much in line, with what I have heard is the motto of the relatively new, recently established government that actually says, we do not want to leave anyone behind.”
A similar service was held on the island of South Caicos at Iris Stubbs Primary school; also newly rebuilt thanks to EU funding.
Iris Stubbs was devastated in the hurricanes of 2017; EU funding supported a completely fresh reconstruction which was completed in December 2019.
Caribbean News
Agriculture Ministry Providing Two Water Trucks to Serve St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine
#Kingston, Jamaica, April 24, 2024 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is to unveil two more water trucks this week, which will be used to service communities in St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine.
Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
He also informed that of the $90 million earmarked to support farmers being impacted by the current drought, the Ministry will be
providing additional support for storage and drip-irrigation systems.
“So, we have targeted about 600 water tanks and about 400 12-millimetre drip irrigation hoses, and that distribution has already started. Additionally, we have earmarked about $8 million to really help with our livestock farmers,” Mr. Green said.
“We know the difficulty that you’re facing now in this time; [it’s] very hard to get the right nutritional support for your animals. As such, we will be providing some hay, and we will [also] provide some trucking of water to you. Again, our livestock farmers, if you are in need, please contact the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and let us see how we can help in these times,” he further stated.
Mr. Green also encouraged farmers to download the RADA App, so that the Agency can “help guide you, not only in relation to what is happening on the rainfall side, but also in relation to your integrated pest management”.
“We do see some increases of certain types of pests during this time, and it’s important that our farmers are paying attention to that. It’s also important that you’re taking drought management seriously [by undertaking] soil mulching, looking at planting drought-tolerant crops, timely harvesting, implementing land husbandry treatments and contour ditches,” he stated.
Contact: Latonya Linton
Release: JIS
Photo Caption: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, speaking during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
Donald De La Haye Photo
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, April 19, 2024 – In an attempt to move to 24-hour-a-day operations Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is steadily recruiting Air Traffic Controllers to work at the Providenciales/Howard Hamilton International Airport, according to Godfrey Smith, TCIAA CEO, reporting to the Appropriations Committee.
Speaking on April 8th Smith said a cabinet paper would be sent soon requesting six more Air Traffic Controllers to make round the clock operation at the Provo International possible and to open the airport in Grand Turk till 12 a.m.
Currently, 17 posts are filled and seven are vacant.
Smith was candid with his responses to recent industrial action from ATCs which led to resignations and firings.
“What we have to do is find systems to mitigate such actions and that has to start with filling these jobs, putting people in that want to
work and doing right by people – and we always try to do right by our staff. Persons may not think that we are but we always do – we ain’t pick no fight,” he said in the meetings held at the NJS Francis building ahead of the National Budget Communication.
Smith indicated that recruitment was an issue across the board, ‘we need to find ways to recruit a little bit better’ he told the committee. Also in need of a push was capital spending or projects according to the CEO, who said the agency had ‘not been very good’ at meeting that mark but insisted they had recognized the issue and could do better.
A very important key performance indicator drawn up by the TCIAA is increasing passenger satisfaction at the Howard Hamilton International Airport. For the TCIAA part of this means a 30 percent increase in seating by Q2 of this year.
When queried on if they could even handle this increase the CEO said,
“The fact of the matter is we already have the capacity there. What we need is to make the service a bit better.”
Staff shortages have become such a frustrating issue that the TCIAA is instituting a scholarship program created by Authority Chairman, Selvyn Hawkins
“What the board wants to do is basically allocate $25,000 annually for a scholarship and they’ve approved it already.”
This process would cover tuition and all other costs for one student.
The student would return as a summer intern and other breaks to work at the TCIAA and upon graduation, assume a role at the company.
“We identify a particular skill we need, we go after it and we build capacity that is in a nutshell the nexus of the program,” Smith said.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is allocated $49 million this financial year; over $20 million goes to salaries.
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