Mr and Miss Science and Technology, Jean-Pierre Blackett and Kiara Hunte (centre), receive their prizes from FLOW’s Marketing Manager – Brand Activation, Cheryl Anne Bascombe (left); and Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones (right), at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Science and Technology Summer Camp.
Jones: Youth have infinite possibilities
Sat, 08/20/2016 - 12:00am
IN this nation’s youth rests the potential to create the next new popular electronic device, the cure for HIV/AIDS or perhaps even one of the more aggressive forms of cancer.
That’s the view of Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ronald Jones, who says that the key to unlocking that potential is science and technology. Delivering the feature address yesterday afternoon at the closing ceremony of the National Council for Science and Technology’s Science and Technology Summer Camp at the St. Stephen’s Primary School, which saw some 85 students enrolled this year, he pushed the idea of science and technology occupying a central role in the Barbadian society, contending that this field of study can truly develop and blossom here.
“This is a world of science and technology; everywhere you go, everywhere you turn science and technology predominates. Not only is it the buzzword, but it is the actually practice of the world… The emphasis of man is changing; man is programming machines to work for man, and that is where these young people will be. A lot of these will be into robotics, a lot of these will be into writing software, a lot of these will be into developing applications for the 21st century for the modern world,” he said.
The Minister added then that as the young people work with the technology and science, it is important that they do not limit themselves, but recognise that the possibilities are infinite. With that in mind, the Education Minister expressed his desire for the young people to be “curiouser and curiouser” and to use that innate curiosity to engage in research, read more, explore and innovate.
“I would like a Bajan to find the cure for AIDS, not in a cocktail, because you can live long because there is a cocktail – several drugs that you have to take every day to suppress HIV virus. But is it possible that one of these young people that we are seeing now, one of your children, being involved in research, could come across whatever it is that would cure AIDS?”
To that end, the Minister is adamant that steps have to be taken to unleash the talents and gifts of the youth, so that they can reach such heights. He maintained that the youth also have a responsibility to ensure that they not only use their talents, but nurture and enhance them in order to be of help to others. (JRT)