VISTS needs some TLC- Hon Walwyn
His remarks came during the March 24, 2025, Continuation of the Third Sitting of the Second Session of the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA), which welcomed visiting students and educators from the Claudia Creque Educational Centre and VISTS — an initiative aimed at exposing students to democratic processes in real time.
Alliance seizing the moment
For Hon Walwyn, the visit was also a moment of reckoning and seizing the moment as Opposition Leader of not just the Seat in the HoA but the de-facto head of the break-away splinter group—The Alliance.
Launching into a scathing reflection on the school, which he said he helped bring to life during his tenure as Education Minister in 2015 — a school he now represents as a District Representative, he told members, “When that school was called The Ark, I don't know how many people remember that; But that was a school where the students who they believed could not learn were sent. When I came in as Minister, I said absolutely not.”
Hon Walwyn, in his address, also recounted a philosophy that defined his tenure: “One of my education officers once said to me — I didn’t agree with her at the time, but I do now — If the children do not learn, the teacher did not teach.”
With this in mind, he continued, “Unless a child has some issue that prevents them from learning, your job as a teacher is to figure out how to teach them and make sure the programmes interest them; That’s what we tried to do.”
But fast forward to today, and the Opposition Leader did not mince words about the school’s current state, stating bluntly, “I visited the school recently. I did not like the way the school looked. The school needs a bit more tender, loving care. The programmes need to be expanded.”
As such, he used the occasion to call on Premier and Minister for Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) and Education Minister Hon Sharie B. de Castro (AL) to take swift and decisive action.
Satellite Campus
“I want to encourage the Premier and the Minister for Education to invest more in that school; It doesn't have to be at that location — create a satellite campus. Get them integrated with actual automobile companies so they can get training and learn more.”
Citing an initiative by the Antiguan government as an example of bold educational reform the BVI could emulate, the Opposition Leader told the House, “Just the other day I was reading in Antigua that they’re starting a school of agriculture; The older folks are dying off and agriculture is declining; Everyone talks about food security. We have an exceptional opportunity now.”
The Opposition Leader’s advocacy was punctuated by his admiration for the students themselves, whose enthusiasm and promise appeared to fuel his sense of urgency, adumbrating, “I spoke to some of them — they seemed so excited; One said she loves the hospitality course, another said he loves the auto mechanics. I want to see something built properly for them.”
His praise was particularly effusive for the students of Claudia Creque Educational Centre.
“I’ve been watching your performance in the school debates and you’ve been exceptional,” he said. “To see a small school stand toe-to-toe with Elmore Stoutt High School, with 1,600 students — that is highly commendable.”
No time for Complacency
As such, he turned to the educators present from Claudia Creque and added, “The school is in your district. Clearly, something good is happening there.”
Despite the biting critique, Hon Walwyn did encourage both teachers and students, “Even if you may have scarce resources, do your utmost to learn as much as you can.”
As for the substantive legislators present, he was adamant, “This is no time for complacency; We can do so much more out of that school. Let’s make sure we do.”
Meanwhile, Education Minister Honourable Sharie B. de Castro (AL), who initially welcomed the students and teachers, sought to strike a far more optimistic note in her own comments, expressing gratitude to the visiting schools and urging her colleagues to take part in the “Teach for a Day” initiative.
“This is what you call learning in action,” she told the House, explaining, “We intend to do more of this as we seek to develop our students’ knowledge of their civic responsibility.”
Meanwhile, Premier Wheatley also joined in the welcome, offering a historical perspective to contextualise the significance of the visit, telling the visitors, “About 75 years ago, we got the opportunity to make law for ourselves — an important aspect of our journey to self-determination.”
According to Premier Wheatley, “We hope that one day, one of you may aspire to sit in this House.”
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19 Responses to “VISTS needs some TLC- Hon Walwyn”
They are not from here either.
The B.V.I, one of a number British Overseas Territories does need radical inovation projects for to survive daily spiking of cost for the majority of us to be able to buy
basic good, pay monthly apartments rent, pay monthly light, pay for ransportation, pay for medical bill, pay for greedy politicians bills, pay for vehicles repairs bill, due to slowness os roads repair, etc.
In order for this comment not become long, and boring to you the readers, I do understand the recently appointed opposition leader concerns, but in my mind witQh so many issues on the table, and taq
that are yet to be completed, where will the extra finance come from to finance his proposals? Believe me, we urgently need much more than political rattling from politicians, but instead, we need God guidance, and honest, and wise political leaders, if posible, now.
If you think that the government does not have the funds, then they need to ask for those hundreds of thousands of party money back. This would be a start for the future.
And than all of the Staff that’s trying to be relocated will stay.
That’s a start in the right direction.