St Kitts-Nevis cabinet ministers look forwards to independence school visits

Friday, 6th September 2019

Students interact with Honourable Shawn Richards during a 2018 Independence School Visit

September 10 and 11, 2019, have been set aside for the Cabinet of Ministers in St. Kitts and in Nevis to conduct the annual school visitations. The visits cover primary and secondary schools and sometimes stretch into a third day. Although very time consuming, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Shawn Richards, said that the activity is very important to the Cabinet, particularly as it forms part of the Independence celebrations. The presentations to the students would usually centre on the respective theme for the year. "In speaking to the theme surrounding Independence, you speak generally about nation-building. What is nation-building? Why is nation-building important? And how it is you expect our younger generation, our students to contribute towards nation-building," the deputy prime minister stated on Working for You on September 04, 2019. Richards, who also serves as the Minister of Education, added that a key component of nation-building that the students can relate to is gaining a proper education. "Nation-building can only continue if we ensure that our young persons are educated and the education is such that it will allow them to continue to develop and build the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis," he said. The visits are also useful as it helps the students, particularly the younger ones in primary school, to put a face to the names of the ministers of government; it provides an opportunity to dialogue with the policymakers; and can inspire persons to consider a career in public service. Deputy Prime Minister Richards noted that the Cabinet also extends invitations to the students to participate in other public activities such as the National Heroes Day Observance at the National Heroes Park on September 16, the Independence Day Parade at Warner Park on September 19, and the Prime Minister's Independence Lecture Series. This year's lecture is set for September 12, at the Sir Cecil Jacobs Auditorium at Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. St. Kitts and Nevis celebrates 36 years of nationhood on September 19, 2019.