The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training gives remarks.

NASSAU, The Bahamas – Chess, swimming, sailing, parenting, tracking and the National Honors Society are some of the branches of the Co-Curricular Activities Programme that the Student Development Section of the Ministry of Education and Technical and vocational Training has launched.

Co-curricular activities comprise programmes that school students participate in addition to their regular studies. Along with the aforementioned, they include Spelling Bee, Student Christian Movement, Literacy and Numeracy Remediation Programme, Visual Arts Enrichment Programme, the Sports Unit, National Debates and Alternative Schools.

The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training headed the list of dignitaries at the launch held Monday, January 15, 2024 at the Ivy Dumont Building, University Drive. Also in attendance were the Hon. Clay Sweeting, Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs; Leonardo Lightbourne, Parliamentary Secretary; Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary, Earl Campbell, Acting Permanent Secretary; Mrs. Dominique McCartney-Russell, Director; NGOs, senior Education officers, school officials, students, teachers and volunteers.

In an impassioned speech, Minister Hanna-Martin emphasized that the Ministry of Education is determined to ensure that it capitalizes on the “most important resource” of the nation --  its youth.

She said, “We’re in difficult times. We’re perplexed but we have to move beyond being perplexed. We have to develop strategies, plans and progress that take our people forward. No one is going to stop the progress of our people.

“When we say ‘watch the manner of our bearing’ this is what you see of our young people today -- young people who are activated, motivated, intelligent, articulate, strong and powerful. That’s what we are developing, but it takes a village.”

She thanked the Student Development Division for helping to bring the village together.

“This session this morning is a big part of the village -- all of the clubs and NGOs who are doing things, we’re bringing it all together because we’re on the same page, we want the same things, we’re volunteering. We’re giving our own for our own all over this nation because we know our valuable resources are everywhere.

“Thank you very much for giving, caring, contributing and for making this whole enterprise, which is nation building, move to the next level of positivity, of excellence and of young people feeling their strength, coming of their own and taking us beyond what we can’t imagine where they can take us with their brilliance.”

The Hon. Clay Sweeting, Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs said the integration of sailing into the nation’s education system makes a “significant” leap forward for junior sailing in The Bahamas.

The launch included video and virtual presentations by students and leaders of the programmes in New Providence and the Family Islands.

Government officials are pictured at the launch of the Co-Curricular Activities Programme. From left: the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training; the Hon. Clay Sweeting, Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs; Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary; Leonardo Lightbourne, Parliamentary Secretary and Dominique McCartney-Russell, Director.

A view of the audience in attendance at the launch of the Co-Curricular Activities Programme.