School children, who lined the streets yesterday for the Barbados leg of the Queen???s Baton Relay and got a glimpse and feel of the baton carried by the several runners, will continue to be educated not only about the Relay, but the Commonwealth.

This assurance was given by educators who acknowledged that more information about the Commonwealth Games would be disseminated.
Kathy-Ann St. Hill, a teacher at The Ann Hill School, said her charges, who usually don???t get the opportunity ???to see a baton passed??? were excited to be at the roadside to cheer on the runners. She indicated that, as a result, teachers would spend time talking about the Games and the Commonwealth as a whole.

At Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary, Class Four teacher, Shodia Holder-Dash, explained that the school chose athletes to participate, pointing out that teachers there were committed to further enlightening students about the Games and the Barbadian contingent.

Over at Government Hill, where students from Charles F. Broome; Springer Memorial and Government Hill Nursery awaited the motorcade, one principal, who noted that his students were selected from across class levels, said: ???Teachers would have told children beforehand about the Queen???s Relay Baton; however, this run would make them more aware.???

He added that more would be achieved in the Social Studies lesson and stressed: ???We will be urging students to seek out more information for themselves about the various flags of the Commonwealth nations and the Games as well.???

Yesterday???s leg of the Queen???s Baton Relay saw Governor General Sir Elliott Belgrave presenting the baton to President of the Barbados Olympic Association, Steve Stoute, as British High Commissioner Victoria Dean, Canadian High Commissioner, Richard Hanley, local and British sporting officials associated with the relay and chairperson of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Dame Maizie Barker-Welch, looked on.

The British High Commissioner signalled the start of the race as she took the baton and ran the first 400 metres before handing it to Justice of Appeal, Sandra Mason at the Nita Barrow roundabout. Other baton exchanges along the route were made to Barbadian athletes, some of whom will be representing the island at the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow from July 23 to August 3.

A stop at the entrance to Highgate Park created the most hype as the baton was handed over from junior weightlifter Brien Best to the Greatest Cricketer of all times and National Hero of Barbados, The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers. A final pass from ???Sir Garry??? to local swimmer, Andre Cross, completed the Barbados leg, as it made its way to the Gymnasium of the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.

The Queen???s Baton Relay is a tradition of the Commonwealth Games, symbolising the coming together of all Commonwealth nations for the sporting event. It is a powerful symbol of unity and diversity and is viewed as the equivalent to the Olympic Torch Relay.

The current Relay round was launched in October 2013, at Buckingham Palace, in a special ceremony which saw the Queen inserting a message into the baton to be read at the start of the Glasgow Games. The relay will visit 70 nations, covering 118,000 miles from Buckingham Palace back to Glasgow over 288 days. Its next stop is Grenada.

joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb

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