Bahamas News

BUT President Gives Full Support to Helping Students of Dominica Get Back to Normalcy

Published

7 years ago

October 5, 2017

#Bahamas, October 5, 2017 – Nassau – Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President, Mrs. Belinda Wilson, expressed full support in helping students of Dominica get back to normalcy as quickly as possible upon her return from a humanitarian trip to Dominica on Monday (October 2, 2017), as part of the Bahamian contingent that was led by Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis.

“They want to get back to normalcy as quickly as possible [as] they have had just about all of their schools destroyed, and so we have to make sure that we assist them.” She added, “We will see how best we can accommodate them.”

Prime Minister Minnis had announced in the House of Assembly (Wednesday, September 27) that the Government of The Bahamas proposed to temporarily relax the immigration rules for three categories of students from Dominica who wished to continue their education in The Bahamas.

Resident’s Permits are to be issued to students from Dominica wishing to study in The Bahamas – with approval of parents.

The policy will cover three categories of students who may apply. They include children who have relatives in The Bahamas and who can find lodging and support from family members; college students who may wish to study at the University of The Bahamas and who seek boarding at UB; and children of parents employed in companies, banks (etcetera) which have offices in The Bahamas. (Temporary employment transfers can be arranged with these institutions.)

Prime Minister Minnis said the decision was made in an attempt to assist the children of Dominica as children are among the demographics that can be more adversely impacted, psychologically, by natural disasters such as hurricanes.

Mrs. Wilson said she was able to have a number of discussions with Prime Minister Skerrit. She observed she expects the numbers of students to be low as many of the students have already left the devastated island to live with relatives in neighbouring island-nations such as Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, and Trinidad and Tobago.

“We will be in a better position to know how many students may be coming after the [registration] process is completed, but right now I don’t think it will be a large number, so we await that data so that we can know how to go forward from here,” Mrs. Wilson said.

The BUT President said, “You would also note that the private schools have opened their doors, so when we get the numbers from the registration and we know the ages of the students, then we will be able to assist the Ministry of Education in placing them in schools that may not have large populations. If the teachers come with them, that will be even better because they can actually focus on their students,” Mrs. Wilson added.

Mrs. Wilson said Dominica’s educational infrastructure consisted of 40 primary schools, 20 secondary schools, and a tertiary institution, “most of which have been destroyed.” She noted the ones that were not destroyed by Hurricane Maria are being used as shelters.

“So what they are also trying to do within another four weeks’ time is to see how best they can find somewhere else for the displaced citizens to be housed so that they can begin their educational process. Remember now, they want to get back to normalcy as quickly as possible, they have had just about all of their schools destroyed, and so we have to make sure that we assist them.”

Mrs. Wilson said her discussions with Prime Minister Skerrit and education officials on the ground in Dominica also centred on any other technical assistance that may be offered.

“I would have also asked the Prime Minister (Skerrit) if he would need some technical assistance from us based on their curriculum and the preparation of their examinations and he said yes he will, and so that is something I will discuss with the Minister of Education to ensure that our Testing and Evaluation Section is able to assist Dominica.

“Both systems would have support from Cambridge in London (and) so we may have to prepare some scripts for them to assist them in that vein. Whatever it is we can do to assist we are prepared to do that,” Mrs. Wilson added.

Bahamas News

Bahamas economic growth

Published

5 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

The Bahamas’ economy is in good standing according to reports from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute which released the Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Series. They indicate that quarterly GDP trends for 2023 saw increases compared to 2022, a sign of recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic.

The most significant increase was 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and the industries responsible for the growth include Accommodations and food, construction and Arts.

Bahamas News

RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos

Published

5 days ago

May 4, 2024

Shanieka

RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.

Bahamas News

Get your laugh on, March On show coming to Turks and Caicos with box office at IGA Friday and Saturday

Published

5 days ago

May 3, 2024

Shanieka

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale this weekend from May 3 to 5.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew.

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attention.”

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.”

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations.

A ticket booth will be set up from today, Friday May 3 in the foyer of IGA grocery store beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and then again all day on Saturday, allowing residents to purchase with cash.

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. Then the full team returns on Friday, May 11 for the actual showing at 8 pm and their two showings on Saturday at 4pm and 8 pm. The venue is Brayton Hall, Providenciales under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described.

Tickets are only $60 for general seating and $75 for VIP seating.

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stoplaughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”