Teachers across Anguilla have learnt new modes of delivery of life skills to students attending various schools on the island. The fresh approach to Health and Family Life Education was provided during a week-long workshop. The training was facilitated by Mrs. Andrea Baptiste and Ms. Arlene Husbands of Barbados and Ms. Sandra Berry of Jamaica.
Mrs. Sandra Fahie, Education Officer (Curriculum) in Anguilla, explained why the training was necessary: “In our school system in Anguilla, our students are faced with numerous challenges – physical, psychological and social,” she stated. “The effect of these problems on our students increasingly makes teaching a challenge. However, given our mandate of ensuring the total development of the students, the school is the place to address the social and physical issues confronting the students. Health and Family Life Education has been recognised as the [right] programme, and the life skills approach has been focused on the mode of delivery to deal with the issues – and therefore no longer can the approach to Health and Family Life continue in an ad hoc/haphazard manner.”
Ms. Fahie observed that it had been proven that health and education were intrinsically linked in ensuring a productive community. She went on: “Health and Family Life Education focuses on increasing the awareness of young people as to the consequences of the choices they make daily, and will make in the future, as the choices will have a profound effect on their health and personal development. In addition, we have new teachers entering the profession with no experience in life skills delivery and hence not comfortable delivering the programme – [and] not forgetting those teachers who would greatly benefit from a refresher.”
Ms. Fahie was therefore pleased to welcome the three workshop facilitators to Anguilla. In doing so she said: “The three ladies have many years of experience in the area of Health and Family Life Education/Personal Social and Health Education, Curriculum Development and Delivery, Life Skills Methodology and Teacher Training…They work in schools in their countries with teachers and others, as well as students, to ensure the delivery of Health and Family Life Education – as well as facilitate workshops for persons in the region. I dare say they are the right and most competent persons to be facilitating this week’s workshop. I guarantee you that at the end of the week all of you will be better equipped and feel more comfortable and efficient about the Health and Family Life/Personal, Social and Health Education programme and delivering it.”
Mrs. Sandra Berry, speaking on behalf of the facilitators, told The Anguillian: “The workshop is for teachers and other stakeholders like nurses and guidance councillors in the Ministry of Education.
“The focus of the workshop is to provide the participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to be better able to deliver life skills to the children in Anguilla,” she said. “Life skills are a very important part of learning and development, and research has shown that when you have life skills you make better decisions and you are able to deal with problems that beset young people in the society. Situations, such as drug abuse, sexuality and sexual health issues, teenage pregnancy, lack of self-awareness are better improved if children learn life skills. This workshop is focused on imparting knowledge to teachers so that they can impart to children and enable them to build better life skills.”
