Minister of Commerce, Senator Lynette Eastmond (centre), at her left is Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ernesta Drakes while the NCSTs Charles Cyrus is at the far left.

 

Queen’s College today dethroned defending champions Seventh Day Adventists to win the final of the National Council for Science and Technology’s (NCST) schools’ science lecture series and debating competition.

The event was held at the Grande Salle, Tom Adams Financial Centre, Bridgetown and the teams debated the topic, ‘The production of ethanol is the solution to the energy problems in Barbados’, to claim the Minister’s challenge trophy. Winners Queen’s College will also be afforded sponsored participation at the London International Youth Science Forum later this year.

Runners-up Seventh Day Adventists will attend the Caribbean Youth Science Forum in Trinidad and Tobago in August.

The series started in December last year when five preliminary rounds were held, followed by three quarter final rounds and semi-final rounds. It is a biennial event, falling alternate years between the NCST’s Sci-TechGreen EXPO.

Addressing the students before the start of the debate, Minister of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development, Senator Lynette Eastmond called for greater media involvement, particularly television, to publicise  the event more.

“I hope on this occasion we will manage to have some portion of it televised at prime time because I think it is really important for Barbadians to see what our young people are doing. You never know when a young person might see people like themselves doing something positive and be inspired in their own particular area of endeavour. That is why we have a national television station for Barbadians to see themselves on TV doing positive things,” she said

Coordinator of the event, Senior Technical Officer with the NCST, Arlene Weekes said: “This is the fourth occasion that this series is being hosted by the NCST, and it had seen much growth over the past years. The programme is open to students of secondary schools and tertiary institutions and we at the council look forward to the day when every secondary school in Barbados is represented here”.

The Minister presented the top award and thanked all the participating schools.

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