Crackdown: Students will not graduate without completing community service
Walwyn
Minister for Education Myron Walwyn has warned secondary school students that they could be barred from graduating if they are lacking sufficient community service hours.
The minister was addressing the 2018 graduating class of the Elmore Stoutt High School last week.
“We are going to get really tough on this. If students do not have the 120 hours of community service next year, they will not graduate,” he said.
According to Walwyn, the crackdown is part of a goal to ensure students develop “in the right way”.
He said the matter of student volunteerism is a ‘very critical’ requirement for students to graduate. He said students not completing community service hours were allowed to ‘slide’ in the past but he said those days are over.
He urged parents as well as education officials to ensure all students comply.
Senior students in Grades 10 to 12 have three years to accumulate the mandated 120 hours of volunteerism.
“It would be unfortunate if a student was not able to receive his or her high school diploma because he or she did not complete the required community service hours,” the minister said.
“It is how you give back to the community, how you help to develop your own territory and make it successful. It’s what makes us good citizens. We are not on an island by ourselves and it takes all of us playing our part.”
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absolutely….and their hours of community service….without cell phones in hands of pockets…check them in before doing your volunteer jobs..
community service? you mean picking up the slack for government that is broke? slavery is alive and well, SMH, strupes…..
That’s a messed up comment. I’m guessing you can’t see beyond politics, which is sad.
I agree JK the “No Direction Party” is broken and this is political spin designed to appeal to the too easily led! Young people should play their part for sure but pay them an allowance or something for almost a months work… Any how NDP don’t lead by example maybe apart from M who does stuff connected with his church, everyone else don’t pick up a pen unless there is something in it for them!
You are very ignorant. I hope you are not a parent because we don’t need any more parents who fail to impress upon their children their civic responsibility to their community and their country.
As an expat, i think this should be the case for any expats seaking residency or belonged status. If you’ve lived in this country for 15-20 years you should be able to show where you have contributed to the country you call home. Something that takes time and effort not just money…just saying.
Show where they contributed to the country? What you think they’ve been doing? Sitting down on their asses? Some of these expats are some of the hardest working people in the country, especially when compared to the average BVIslander/Belonger. And they have been paying their taxes for just as long as some of you, so cut the crap.
Working the sh*tty jobs that locals don’t want to do is community service enough. Out of order.
Its difficult to volunteer if you are on a work permit. Technically you need another work permit even for unpaid work.
He’s working his PR team hard to try to stay relevant
A site wrote an article based on comments made by Walwyn means his PR team is working hard for him to stay relevant? Do you guys need me to run that War Room for you? Your comments are really wack man!! SMH!!!
I hope that he does some community work for that million dollar wall.
There is no excuse for them not completing 120 hours especially with the amount of assistance needed after hurricane. Community service helps to teach responsibility. Don’t let up on this MVW.
I am not an NDP supporter but I agree with Hon. Walwyn with the community service requirement to graduate…I worked in the hotel industry for over 30 years and during that time, the hotels I worked for hosted high school kids for job training…I’ve had that opportunity to work with a few, and I can could on one hand that most were lazy; they just wanted to get through the couple weeks and have someone sign off that they attended…I worked with one young lady, and she was so helpful and at the end she told that she needed assistance writing her resume which I helped her with, after completing high school, she was hired at a local bank. I was so proud of her.
We are always complaining that expatriates are taking the jobs from locals, the expatriates are not lazy, they will work at any jobs available, they will start at the bottom and work their way up. So come on now…I see no problem with the little 120 hours requirement to graduate. We just had two major hurrricanes and some places still need cleaning. (My little two cents)
Really. Has any counselling been provided for those who were especially impacted by the hurricanes. Has an assessment been done to ensure they are ok at home and have sufficient food and water for their families. I hope so. Just saying, take care of the students first so that they are fit and well to do the community service hours. I’m sure they do not need any added pressure right now. They are young and need help, bald head. Struupes.
This is what happens when politics erodes our education system. He implemented it and then allowed it to be violated to look votes.
The further the BVI stays from this man ever becoming Premier the better.
Most countries use community service as a punishment for criminals, in lieu of serving a prison sentence. It is strange that the BVI makes it a requirement for students to graduate. Surely graduation should be based on academic achievement alone.
Ok Mr. Walwyn these children r not in prison! Y the heavy mandate?! How about implementing programs such FBLA(Future Business Leaders of America) Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts. Community activities are interwoven into programs like these. U r not running a prison!! U obviously know absolutely nothing about educating our students. Develop in the right way?! Unbelievable!!
Why didnt he impliment that while his daughter was in high school .