Robotics programme being expanding to primary school
Minister of Education Sharie deCastro announced on Friday, October 18, that her ministry will expand its robotics programme to primary schools next year.
Speaking in the House of Assembly (HOA), deCastro emphasised the importance of integrating robotics and technology into early education, highlighting their potential to drive careers in engineering, computer science, and artificial intelligence.
“The Ministry has committed to starting even earlier,” deCastro stated. “We recognize the need to spark curiosity and creativity at a young age. I am proud to announce that we will be expanding our robotics programme to primary schools next year.”
DeCastro explained that introducing these concepts to younger students will cultivate innovation and critical thinking skills. “By planting the seeds of innovation early, we are giving students the opportunity to explore, tinker, and develop problem-solving abilities,” she said. “This early exposure will ensure that the next generation of Virgin Islanders will not only use technology but also create it.”
The minister highlighted that while foundational digital literacy has been introduced through the S.T.E.A.M curriculum for Grades 7-9, additional funding from government collaborations and Unite BVI has allowed this to be extended to Grade 10. She also indicated plans to eventually extend robotics education to Grades 11 and 12 over the next two years.
During the official opening of the 2024-2025 school year, deCastro informed the public about a reimagined curriculum that emphasises Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) innovation. This initiative, which begins at the lower secondary level and expands to include robotics and coding in upper secondary, is a response to students’ calls for nurturing curiosity and ingenuity through enhanced digital literacy and innovation.
The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports adopted STEAM as its theme in 2022, reaffirming its commitment to equip students for a technologically competitive future.
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First things first , how many robotic engineering specialists do we have on the primary / secondary school staff ? Don’t run before you can walk.
The education system in the BVI has declined significantly since the VIP got in government. Now we have child as education minister whose only strategy to have students playing with robots all day while she and her CEO buddy jet flies around the world together at the expense of the public.
LMAO
The work will get done properly and on time daily / and hopefully they will replace these wannabe superstars who think that own this land and who or whatever on it , THAT WILL SURELY BALANCE THE SCALES – FOR ALL HUMAN BEINGS
Creativity is an essential component in robotic engineering and all other subjects.
It is creativity in all its various forms, that needs to be placed on the educational front burner.
My video “Realising Your Creative Potential” is relevant. https://youtu.be/5K7MM16Kc_E