Prof. Barriteau: Continue your education

Students of The Ellerslie School have been told to continue their education in some form after completing their secondary school education.

Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, Professor The Most Honourable, Eudine Barriteau, gave this advice as she delivered the feature address during her alma mater’s Annual Speech Day and Prize-giving Ceremony on Friday.

She told pupils that their post-secondary education does not solely have be at a university.

“Students, I do not believe that you have to pursue a university degree as opposed to other forms of learning since I value all the forms of post-secondary education, technical, vocational, all are necessary for a well-organised society.”

She added, “I do believe, however, that you have to continue to educate yourselves because the world as we know it is changing rapidly and you have no choice but to keep up.”

Professor Barriteau, who spoke on the topic, ‘Where do you want to go and how do you get there?’, also reminded students that their actions now can have an impact on their future success.

“Yes, young people, your individual actions to achieve the success and personal happiness you and your parents desire are critical. You must bring your best selves into the classrooms, onto the playing fields and into all your social interactions. From very young, you must be committed to working towards high standards of excellence, to exercising self-discipline, yes, you have to do your homework, all the time. You have to be committed to showing respect for your fellow students, and of course your parents, teachers and members of your community. And yes, they should show you respect too.”

Friday’s Speech Day and Prize-giving Ceremony was held in the Walcott Warner Theatre of the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, UWI Cave Hill Campus.

Also addressing the gathering was Principal, Colonel Errol Brathwaite. In his report, he stated that The Ellerslie School is on a “growth path” as he showed a chart highlighting the educational institution’s overall performance during the period 2014 to 2019. As it stands, the school’s overall percentage in the area of academics is 61.9 per cent.

“When we do an analysis of the school’s overall performance during the period 2014 to 2019, it shows that we are on that growth path. Yes, in 2018 we had a bit of a dip, but there are a number of variables that would have contributed to that. We are not looking in the rear-view mirror, we are moving forward.” (MG)