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BVI a model for implementing SMART Schools regionally

Education Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley.

The BVI is paving the way for more SMART School programmes to be developed in the region.

SMART represents the use of ‘sustainable, mitigation, adaptation, and resilient techniques’ to ensure schools are safe and healthy.

Education Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley shared the concept at the second annual Caribbean Safe Schools Ministerial Forum this week.

“Now it’s very clear that we have to build resilience … We in the BVI have broadened that (Safe Schools concept) into a cross-sectoral framework which includes environmental considerations as well as health considerations. We have dubbed it the SMART School concept. If you have healthy schools, and you have safe schools, and you have green schools, then you are deemed to have SMART schools from the BVI concept,” Dr Wheatley said.

The minister also stressed the importance of schools having these necessary systems in place to protect all students during major natural disasters, adding that the time was ripe for all educational facilities to advance beyond just having resilient physical structures.

Head of Department of Disaster Management (DDM) Sharleen DaBreo expanded on why SMART concepts were ‘the best choice’.

“Since we entrust our future generations into the schools, we consider them critical components of infrastructure. Adopting the SMART concept makes our schools as resilient as possible, giving our students the best chance at being able to continue their education after the impact of a natural or man-made hazard,” she told attendees of the ministerial forum.

While DaBreo participated in a panel discussion on best practices for building resilience in the education sector, Dr Wheatley was involved in a ministerial panel discussing ways to advance the ‘Roadmap on School Safety’ with other officials from across the region.

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13 Comments

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  1. Next says:

    Done under NDP. We had designated smart schools for a few years now. Next! But of course the lying VIP will try to take credit for it.

    Like 32
    Dislike 17
    • Get over it.. says:

      Some people just don’t realize they lost and need to move on. X, it’s ok.

      Like 17
      Dislike 27
      • @get over it says:

        I am a die hard VIP and it’s not about who lost it’s about giving credit where it’s due and not taking it for yourself. This program was initiated under the NDP. I haven’t heard VIP mention anything to the effect as “it was started under NDP and we will be moving forward with it” in nothing they are doing that was started or already in motion under the NDP. I’m now seeing their true colors as I was warned.

        Like 30
        Dislike 11
      • @get over it says:

        You Country J**kA** It is not about loosing,it is about taking something someone else created and calling It your own bushman.

        Like 30
        Dislike 3
  2. I think says:

    This guy is so adorable.

    Like 7
    Dislike 13
    • Concerned says:

      Continues to lie and be bias. Be honest you could not achieve anything within the 8 wks or so since taking over the department. The negotiations had already started. Loosing respect for you

      Like 15
      Dislike 5
  3. what a ting says:

    The Minister states he is not going to overturn what is working but build on it. The way the public is behaving is as though nothing was done to improve the system. What parents need to do is teach their children to respect rules. But then how can this happen when the leaders want to go over the Governor’s head and the laws of the land . A school reflects the society.

    Like 15
    Dislike 3
    • @What a ting says:

      That is not our governor, he belongs to the queen, and serves her interest, as all before him. When we elect a governor then he belongs to us. This is just an old colonial white supremacy issue that we will have to work to do away with.

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      Dislike 8
  4. Blind leading the blind says:

    These guys can’t even see that when they say “SMART represents the use of ‘sustainable, mitigation, adaptation, and resilient techniques”, they are showing that they are
    unaware of the correct use of grammatical tenses.

    Like 3
    Dislike 4
  5. @ @ WHAT A TING says:

    adhere we go again (RACISM) UK AND JASPERT/ are they responsible for the corruption that is going on here ? ?

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  6. True says:

    No one should even support his pizza buisness every one should boycot him

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