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Turks & Caicos Minister of Education Updates

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#TurksandCaicos, August 17, 2021 – Turks & Caicos Minister of Education Updates

 

When & How school will open

Public schools will officially reopen on September 6 and when they do , the hybrid formula for teaching will be shelved for a return to in person classes.

Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education was a part of a press conference on Thursday (August 12) evening from the Office of the Premier and explained that waiting lists only exist because there is a flurry of interest to get children who were once in the private school system, into the public school system.

Students are Waiting

Some 240 students are on the waiting list to enter infant one, and primary school with the longest list at the high school level, 133 hopeful students.

Minister Taylor shared social distancing has cut down on how many can be admitted at the infant, primary and high school levels, but that her team is working on it.

On August 23, said the Director of Education, Edgar Howell parents will know the status of their application for a space in the public school system.

More money, more scholarships

 

Twenty four more people were awarded international scholarships this year informed the minister of education when she hosted a joint press conference with the ministry of health last Thursday.

 

Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education announced $4,102,844 in scholarships were approved, some she said are for full scholarships, others for partial scholarships and the balance are grants which are given to students who want to pursue studies outside of the priority areas.

 

While this year’s group will go through, and it is announced as some 86 applicants who were successful for college abroad; by next year, the Cabinet wants to see a more streamlined approach aligning awardees with the labour force needs of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

This year, 181 people applied for scholarships; 86 were approved.  It demonstrated an increase in interest and awardees over 2020, where 156 candidates applied and 62 scholarships were given – the data is from the category of international studies.

 

Students continuing their degree programs are being supported to the tune of $1.45 million; local and international studies cumulatively will cost $ 2.35 million.

 

Students who will pursue ‘A’ Levels at British West Indies Collegiate and the TCI Community College have attracted around $270,000 in educational funding.

 

International awardees are already selected and Minister Taylor informed that a meeting which was due to be held on Monday August 16, would determine the local awardees for the upcoming academic year.

 

 

Teachers must be vaxxed or test weekly

 

Ministry of Education is taking a firm stand with workers in the Department and will require that all staff  be vaccinated for Covid-19 or regularly tested at their own expense; the frequency of testing is not stated in a notice dated August 9 which is expected to impact the coming 2021-2022 academic year.

 

This is the kind of stand that many countries are taking in sectors like health care, at home care givers for elderly, public sector and education.

 

Turks and Caicos is taking the same course it seems, even though so far the measures have resulted in eruptions of protests, petitions and demonstrations and violence.

 

School in for Gov’t Teachers August 23

 

There are 393 teachers registered in the Turks and Caicos government school system, 246 of them are fully vaccinated for Covid-19 which equates to 63 per cent.

Day one for those teachers is August 23rd; this will allow for at least two workshops hosted by the Ministry of Education to ready teachers for new systems in learning and to review the health protocols.

 

Most significantly, it will also allow Covid-19 antigen testing to be conducted on these staffers ahead of school reopening, and this will repeat weekly.  Face covering and social distancing mandates remain in effect for Turks and Caicos and students will return to face to face learning on September 6th all announcements from the Minister of Education Rachel Taylor in a Thursday press conference.

 

Minister Taylor explained the earlier time for teachers to report for duty also allows for screening of children who may have special needs.

 

The two weeks said the minister gives teachers time to prepare their classrooms and enables individual public schools to run their own programs.

 

Two schools have fully vaccinated teachers; they are Louise Garland Thomas High in Provo and the HJ Robinson High in Grand Turk.

 

The minister encouraged all teachers to get vaccinated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bahamas News

Health Officials Re-launch Vaccination Outreach Programme against Measles

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By LINDSAY THOMPSON
Bahamas Information Services
 



NASSAU, The Bahamas –– Due to measles outbreaks in countries in close proximity to The Bahamas, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is taking no chances and officially re-launched its Community Vaccination Outreach Programme, to keep the public aware of the contagious disease.

A press conference was held on Wednesday, April 23 2025 at the Ministry on Meeting Street, during which health officials also discussed the immunization and vaccination status locally.

Present were the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, Minister of Health and Wellness; Dr. Philip Swann, Acting Director, Department of Public Health; Dr. Jillian Bartlett, Senior Medical Officer; Nurse Gina Ferguson-Rose, National Immunization Coordinator; and Dr. Eldonna Boisson, PAHO/WHO Representative for The Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

The update coincided with observance of Vaccination Week in The Americas, April 26 to May 3, 2025 under the theme ‘Your Decision Makes a Difference. Immunization for All.’                                                                                                                                                             According to the Centre for Disease Control, the United States confirmed over 800 cases of measles this year, including a death in Texas, and cases in Florida, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and Washington. This is compared to 248 cases for the entire year, 2024. In Canada during the first two months of 2025, there were 227 measles cases, with many requiring hospitalizations. Compared to 146 for the whole of last year.  Last week, Belize reported two cases.

“Which is one of the reasons the Department of Public health is having this press conference to alert parents of the danger and the need to ensure your child is immunized,” said Dr. Darville.

He noted that many of the confirmed measles cases in the US are in states that have direct flights to The Bahamas, which can result in possible imported cases.

“Secondly, the country’s current Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) immunization rates are just under 85 percent which makes us very vulnerable as a nation,” he said.

Dr. Darville said he was pleased to report that “there are no reported cases of measles in the country and the Department of Public Health along with our partner PAHO, is launching a community based door-to-door programme to promote public awareness and education programmes about measles, mumps and rubella, and to immunized those children that may have been missed.”

He reminded the public that measles is a highly contagious disease and the rapid spread is of great concern to public health.  And, he reaffirmed that immunizations are free at the public clinics, urging parents and guardians to review their children’s immunization records.  If they have any concerns, contact the team at the newly reopened Baillou Hill Road Community Clinic or the EPI center at 341-1741 or 341-1766.

“Remember these vaccines have been around for decades. They are safe, effective and are provided free of charge at all public health facilities,” said Dr. Darville.

Dr. Swann reinforced the message that the measles vaccine is a vital tool in protecting public health. It prevents measles, a highly contagious disease that can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death, especially in young children and individuals with weakened immune systems.

“By achieving high vaccination rates, communities benefit from herd immunity, which helps shield those who cannot receive the vaccine due to medical conditions. The vaccine has played a key role in drastically reducing measles cases worldwide, contributing to efforts toward the potential elimination of the disease. Promoting widespread access to the vaccine is essential to safeguarding lives and preventing outbreaks,” he said.

He added, “We believe that combining these strategies can boost vaccination rates and help protect entire communities through herd immunity.”

Dr Swann advised the public that the Department of Public Health is re-launching its community programme. The first wave will be the teams of nurses and nurse extenders who will be wearing Vaccination Week in the Americas t-shirts. And, they would be in communities this week with a blitz being planned for the communities served by the Baillou hill Road and Fleming Street clinics this coming weekend.

Dr. Eldonna Boisson, PAHO/WHO Representative for The Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos Islands also stressed the importance of being vaccinated.

“The problem for us is that our vaccination coverage is dangerously low. What this means is that if a case of measles comes into The Bahamas, we are at a very high risk of that case spreading the diseases to the Bahamian population, particularly children.

“We run a very real risk of having a measles outbreak, which needless to say will also severely affect tourism.

“So, what can we do? The answer is simple. Ensure that we are vaccinated with two doses of the MMR vaccine. This will protect the children and prevent spread of this potentially very severe disease,” she said.

(BIS Photos/Mark Ford)

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News

Emailer Threatens Our Children; ‘Close Down the School’

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Deandrea Hamilton

Editor

 

Turks and Caicos, April 25, 2025 – Turks and Caicos national security leaders were deliberately vague about what led to their snap decision to shut down schools across Providenciales this week. The likely reason was to avoid panic after they were alerted to the dangerous and frightening prospect of what some anonymous sender planned to inflict upon the children, families and at least six private schools in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

“The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, has launched an active investigation following the receipt of suspicious emails to six schools earlier this evening.

At this stage, police intelligence has not confirmed the legitimacy of the threats. However, the police force is treating the matter with the utmost seriousness.”

However, holding onto the precise threat spelled out in those ghastly emails, meant parents remained frustratingly clueless about what was so serious that it prompted school officials, to late on Wednesday night, ask them to not to drop their children to school.

Schools which were in session complied with the police statement, though we understand there was no direct communication with school administrations.

Magnetic Media also learned that those now infamous emails, dispatched to half a dozen schools including the International School, Precious Treasures, Provo Primary and British West Indies Collegiate, contained a bone-chilling threat to shoot at the schools this Friday, April 25, 2025.

“…you’ve been randomly selected for a shooting I recommend to have minimal damage done to close the school.  You will be given a 24Hr notice and a 12 Hr notice, God bless.”

There was no blessing obviously and thankfully, no violence.  Some of the schools targeted with the violent email are still on Easter Holiday.

“A joint meeting between education officials and senior police officers was convened promptly after the emails were reported. The RT&CIPF’s Intelligence Unit is fully engaged and working to trace the origin of the messages.

We understand that these messages may cause concern and wish to assure the public that everything possible is being done to protect our school communities,” informed the police press statement.

The statement came after 10 p.m. on Thursday April 23.

The sender, identified in the email as ‘Charles Millson’ and issued the threat to multiple schools via their staff accounts about 12 hours earlier, just minutes before 10 a.m. on April 23.  In the subject line: ‘Close Down the School.’

In this age of hyper-advanced technology, the email probably emanated from a phony account created to perpetrate this crime, which is in violation of the Summary Offences Ordinance, where ‘causing fear’ is cited as a crime and the Firearms Ordinances, which carries a weighty penalty of a 12-year minimum mandatory prison time for possession of an unlicensed gun and ammunition.

Authorities are expected to update the public on the progress of the investigation and its next steps. Students will remain home on Friday.

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Turks and Caicos Islander Deajah Smith Selected for Prestigious 2025 Women’s Sport Leadership Academy

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Turks and Caicos, April 25, 2025 – The Turks and Caicos Islands is proud to announce that DeAjah Smith has been selected to join the 2025 cohort of the internationally acclaimed Women’s Sport Leadership Academy (WSLA). Smith’s acceptance into the program marks a significant achievement, as she was chosen from a competitive pool of over 95 applicants representing more than 50 countries.

Her successful application was strongly supported by TCI Women in Sports, with a personal endorsement from the organisation’s founder and former president, Hon. Rita Gardiner. A trailblazer for women’s sports in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Hon. Gardiner commended Deajah’s “unwavering dedication, leadership potential, and her commitment to advancing opportunities for women and girls in sport.”

The WSLA selection team expressed high regard for Deajah’s skills, experiences, and aspirations, recognising her as someone who would not only benefit from the program but also contribute meaningfully to the global network of women leaders in sport.

A passionate advocate for youth and women’s empowerment through sport, Deajah has been actively involved in promoting inclusivity and development across the islands. Her selection underscores the growing impact of Caribbean women in global sports leadership spaces.

“I’m incredibly honoured to be accepted into WSLA 2025,” said Deajah. “This opportunity means so much to me, not only as a personal milestone, but as a chance to represent Turks and Caicos and inspire the next generation of girls in sport. I’m grateful for the support of Hon. Rita Gardiner and TCI Women in Sports for believing in me and championing my journey.”

The Women’s Sport Leadership Academy, based in the United Kingdom, is a globally recognised initiative that equips emerging leaders with the tools, strategies, and network to drive positive change in sport and beyond.

As Deajah prepares to represent the Turks and Caicos Islands on the international stage, her achievement serves as a source of national pride and a call to continue investing in the leadership potential of young women across the region.

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