Minister of Education Dr. the Honourable Ingrid Buffonge has announced the introduction of a wider range of Technical-Vocational subjects in schools on the island.
Speaking in Parliament this week, she stated that technical and vocational education has been underfunded for years, and the United Alliance initiative will introduce a wider range of subjects at the primary and secondary level by September.
These subjects include cosmotology, boat building. fashion designs and landscaping architecture.
“I must speak of the United Alliance TechVoc Initiative. Our vision is to introduce a wider range of TechVox subjects into primary and lower secondary by September. In addition to the present subjects which are offered at secondary, (0:16) which are food and nutrition, building and furniture, (0:18) technical drawing, agriculture, IT and electricity, we want to introduce landscape architecture, architecture, auto mechanics, welding, ocean science, boat building, cosmetology, hair, makeup, nails, sewing and fashion design.”
Dr. Buffonge says with the introduction of these subjects into primary and early secondary, “we will create a love and a passion for TechVox that will improve the ability of students who are desirous of writing the CVQ exams when they reach fourth and fifth forms of secondary.”
She reveals that a council for technical education is about to be created along with a business plan to “ensure that funding follows the great vision that we have for TechVoc in the United Alliance today. It is hoped that long-term, Montserrat will have its own TechVoc Institute. This will take time, planning and obviously financing. And this will be how we will be preparing students for the world of work, how we intend to nourish our economy with skilled, capable, enthusiastic persons.”
The minister thanked the recent technical and vocational assessment team, and teachers of TechVoc at the Montserrat Secondary School.