Government is continuing to roll out positive projects and programmes to ensure young people are engaged in a meaningful way.
Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General with responsibility for Crime Prevention, Corey Lane, stressed this point today as the National Peace Program (NPP) launched SWIM (Strengthening, Wellness, Inspiring, Motivating), a Seaside Aquatics Swimming Programme.
Describing the programme, in which 80 children from four primary schools in St. Lucy will learn critical swimming skills, as “lifesaving”, Mr. Lane urged the children to “grasp this and other opportunities with both hands” and take advantage of them.
In explaining the importance of the NPP and its work, he said these social innovations give participants an alternative. He pointed out that the initiatives of the NPP sought to entertain, train, and introduce important life skills, among other things.
Mr. Lane continued: “As we seek to reduce the heat on the street, and we do it through four pillars. We have to get things that attract these young people to programmes…. So we have entertainment…. If we do anything and we do not adjust mindsets, we are not going anywhere, so we have to adjust the mindsets. …
“Training is important because we have to make sure that you have the life skills and employment skills that can take you through so that we can get to the level of sustainability.”
Describing the initiative as “vital”, Chief Education Officer, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, expressed the view that it would positively impact the northern school population and contribute to Barbados’ national development.
Dr. Archer-Bradshaw continued: “At the Ministry of Education, we believe in ensuring our students engage in an active and healthy lifestyle through the promotion of physical education, varied forms of physical activity, sport participation and the Barbados School Nutrition Policy.
“We have identified the sport of swimming as a critical skill which needs to be more evident in a wider cross-section of the school population. With this programme, more students will have the ability to access the appropriate facilities and be exposed to developmentally appropriate content knowledge and skill development, which will redound to their benefit.”
The Chief Education Officer gave the assurance that the Ministry remains committed to supporting the additional phases of the programme to safeguard its success.
“Not only are we excited by the prospect of an opportunity for them to learn to swim, but we are happy that you will also expose our children to basic first aid and CPR training. What a wonderful expression of paying forward, as the skills learnt today could possibly lead to the development of future coaches and or equipping our young people with skills that could help them to save a life tomorrow,” she proffered.
Managing Director of Seaside Aquatics Club, Terrance Haynes, said the new programme is a step in the right direction, since there is an overwhelming need for persons to learn to swim. Mr. Haynes opined that the sea is a great resource and there are many benefits to learning to swim.
The students participating in the programme are from Selah, Half Moon Fort, Ignatius Byer, and St. Lucy Primary Schools and they will utilise the facilities at Sunset Point, St. Lucy.