St. Luke’s Academy opened

Located in White Hall, St. Peter, a school, fully equipped with Montessori materials in each classroom, has been opened. St. Luke’s Academy, pre-viously known as the Casa Dei Bambini Pre-school, is opening its doors to 2- to 11-year-olds from this coming 2016-2017 school year.

 

Minister of Education, Innovation, Science and Technology, the Hon. Ronald Jones, expressed his delight with one of the school’s mantras, ‘To nurture the family atmosphere and to create a sense of community’, as he gave his keynote address at the opening ceremony. To this, Jones stated that learning is a holistic phenomenon and family and community values were important in the learning process in order to produce better human beings. Furthermore, he noted that better communities help to build better nations; therefore, the subjects taught in schools were only the conduits by which the goodness of the students will pass, but that goodness first has to be instilled.

 

Placing focus on the teachers at the school, Jones reminded them that teachers touch souls, and ignite passions and creativity and so, their job is not an easy one. He continued to say that they have to be willing to make a change in the lives of the students, and pointed out that the school is only the shelter and what is more important is what takes place after the students enter the shelter.

 

In addition, Jones made a pitch to corporate Barbados for assistance. As Mr. Bjorn Bjerkhamn has funded the building of St. Luke’s Academy, Jones is asking that more corporate entities come on board to do the same, however, at the secondary and post-secondary level. He stated that there are not enough sixth form schools on the island, and the Ministry is in need of assistance in catering to the students aged 16 years and over.

 

To this end, Jones emphasised that along with tourism attractions already used, education can be added to the list. To make his point, he said that many students travel from Trinidad and Tobago to pursue their medical degrees at Cave Hill, even though there is a medical sciences programme at St. Augustine. Therefore, this can be a viable option for investors.

 

In closing, Jones took the opportunity to present Principal of the school, Angelique Edwards, with her official certificate of registration and was privileged to a tour of the new compound.

 

The new school has an Open Day on September 7.