The long-delayed Education Bill, which has been repeatedly publicised, substantially amended, rejected and thrown out of the House of Assembly, is the subject of much concern to stakeholders inAnguilla. Among those complaining bitterly are representatives of the Technical and Vocational (TVET) Council and theAnguillaCommunity College.
They are claiming that the procrastination of the draft legislation isseriously affecting the education process on the island, and putting the advancement of technical education on the backburner.
“The TVET Council is ready to put in place the framework for the actual qualifications for those who are going to advance in the working environment of Anguilla,” Carlton Pickering, Chairman of the Council, told The Anguillian.
“We have an Advisory Council to the Minister of Education which has so far been set up. But the TVET will have no teeth unless the Education Bill is passed. This is what is going to give the TVET Council the authorisation to put the necessary framework in place so that the working environment inAnguillacan be what it ought to be.”
Mr. Pickering continued: “We are disappointed that after three years, since the setting up of the Advisory Committee, we are still going into the fourth year and nothing has been done with the Education Bill.”
Asked what his colleagues are doing about the matter,Pickeringreplied: “When we meet again we will devise a strategy for the way forward.”
President of theAnguillaCommunity College, Professor Delroy Louden, who is a member of the TVET Advisory Council, expressed his own views. “I am more than disappointed,” was his candid reply. “I am frustrated, bewildered. We have a whole generation of young men and young women who would benefit greatly from technical and vocational courses.
“In fact, sadly, what we have done at the College is to have gone ahead and worked with the…[TVET] group inJamaica, through theUniversityofTechnology, and we are starting a City & Guilds-approved programme in Electrical Installation this September. We want to go ahead with plumbing, welding and, of course, these programmes need to come through a TVET Council.
“But alas! We are speaking to deaf ears. I am saddened.”
Minister of Education, Edison Baird, who has responsibility for the Education Bill, has sought to move its presentation and pilot its passage in the House of Assembly, but it has been thrown out by the Speaker on at least three occasions.
The most recent occasion was some weeks ago, when she deemed the heavily-amended draft legislation to be a new Bill.
