First Day: A North Georgetown Secondary student with a visual impairment is assisted into the school compound on the first day of the 2019-2020 academic year, last Monday. Education Month 2019, which is being observed under the theme “Education: ‘Key to National Development,” was officially launched last Monday. “Remember that our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education and the human mind is our fundamental resource. We must, therefore, do everything in our power to protect and enrich this resource,” Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson said in a message to mark the occasion.
According to Hutson, the importance of education is enshrined in its age-old functions, which include the transmission of culture through the instilling of social norms, values and beliefs into the next generation. Other functions, he noted, include facilitating social integration, career selection, socialisation, rational thinking and patriotism, among others. “It’s clear, the achievement of such functions will require a collaborative approach among all stakeholders,” he said.
He urged students to be focused on learning in the classroom and to be respectful to their teachers. He further encouraged teachers to do their jobs with purpose, knowing that they liberate the minds of the nation’s young people and set them on a course to enjoy social mobility. Additionally, he urged parents to remain committed to the development of their children by sustaining and motivating them. “To our education officers/officials, do not become weary in doing good. Let us continue to fight for the education system and our children,” Hutson added, before also thanking the teachers’ union for its interest and support in education delivery and urging continued cooperation. Several activities have been planned to mark Education Month, which is observed annually in September. (Department of Public Information photo)
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