Every child that has graduated from a secondary school in Barbados should be able to communicate effectively in a foreign language.
This is the view of Industry Minister, Donville Inniss, who said he believed that ???it was imperative for this little island to carve out and maintain its rightful place in the global village…???
Addressing the Parkinson Memorial School???s Speech Day and Prize-Giving Ceremony yesterday under the theme Building Skill Sets for the Future, at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, the Minister lamented that some might argue that if persons have a challenge communicating effectively in the native language of English, then they would encounter some difficulty trying to master a foreign language.
??????I firmly believe that it is now a necessity. It must be a part of your future as students of the Parkinson School for you to learn and to seek a profession that involves a foreign language,??? Mr. Inniss told those students in attendance.
Alluding to the lack of interest in developing sound reading skills among young people, the Minister said that it was his firm belief that little emphasis was being placed on researching and deep thinking. He added that education was a lifelong journey as one never stopped learning.
Mr. Inniss mentioned there were 14 basic attributes needed for personal development and cited determination and the capacity for hard work as among the primary characteristics that would propel one through life.
He noted that these along with respect for self and respect for others were equally important tools that are necessary to garner success.
???You can have all the brains in the world, [and] all the technology available to you, but if you do not take care of your mind, body and soul then it is for naught ???,??? he warned.
The event also included performances by the Parkinson Memorial School Choir and the School Band Revolution.
theresa.blackman@barbados.gov.bb