Anguilla offers free universal primary and secondary education. The Education Act mandates that children up to age 16 must attend school. In addition, the Department of Education has three Education Welfare Officers who are charged with reducing tardiness, student absenteeism and truancy.
The Education Welfare Officers are part of the Multi-Professional Support Services (MPSS) Unit headed by Education Officer, Mrs Tracelyn Hamilton. The MPSS Unit provides a range of support for students including English as a Second Language, Reading Recovery and Remedial Reading, Counselling and Psychological Support, Health Services and Education Welfare.
The Education Welfare Officers (EWOs) are meant to protect children’s right to an education by ensuring that they receive approved levels of teaching/learning time. This is even more critical as Anguilla emerges from recent years that ate away at time spent in the classroom, either due to natural disasters such as Hurricane Irma in 2017 or the disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
September is recognised internationally as Attendance Awareness Month. This year, the DOE’s Education Welfare Officers (Ms Natasha Carty, Ms Conisha Gumbs and Ms Marcia Rogers) undertook several activities to draw attention to Attendance Awareness many of which targeted the primary school level. Their campaign included daily Radio Announcements throughout September, Special Assemblies during the week of 18-22 September that were attended by “Attendance Ambassadors” and a grand finale on Friday, 29th September 2023 with the “Too Cool Not to Attend School” event. Students from each primary school dressed up in their cool gear, for “Too Cool Not to Attend School”, recited the Attendance Pledge created by the EWOs and took lots of photos against attendance affirming backdrops prepared by Event Planners
Special Thanks must be extended to all the people who gave freely of their time and resources to make this happen. This includes the Attendance Ambassadors; Ms Jasentha Crawford, Mr Richard Stephens, Mrs Erica Richardson, Mr Vanburn Brookes, Mrs Mikeela Skellekie-Cunningham and Mrs Shellecia Brooks-Johnson, the Photographers; Mr Calivon Vanterpool of Limitless Shots, Mr Ian Hodge of I. A. H Production, Mr Clemvio Hodge of What We Do In Anguilla, Mr Rudy Webster of 5 Star C, Mr Keiroy Brown of Keiroy Brown Photography, Mr Kevin Archibald of K Sharp Photography, Mr Keoyon Woodley, Mr Nashaine Johnson and Ms Monique Webster and the Party Planners; Mrs Andrea Mills-Rey of Parties R US – AARPS, Ms. Amber Woodley of Milestones – ATHPS, Ms. Javiette Richardson – VPS, Ms Nicole Singh of Party Paradise – OKPS, Ms. Alyshia Ryan of Luxuri Balloons –MVPS, and Ms Roshima Parker of Royal Party Rentals – VVPS.
Parents are encouraged to remember that their children’s educational journey is improved by maximum classroom time. Your children are ‘Too Cool Not to Attend School’.
ATTENDANCE PLEDGE
I pledge my attendance today
To do my best each and every day
To attend school regularly and be on time
To be respectful and not just to lime
I will show up to learn every single day
I will have a positive attitude in every way
I will prove to everyone that I’m so cool
In fact, I’m way ‘Too Cool Not to Attend School’!
– Press Release
