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Last Updated: Jul 25, 2021 - 3:20:06 AM |
Students are pictured before the proto type display/ sustainable energy sample.
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Nassau, The Bahamas – Come September, a new wave of technology will be transforming public schools in New Providence.
The Technical Studies Unit of the Ministry of Education (MOE) presented its recently acquired Primo Energy Seedlings to administrators, teachers and students of Doris Johnson, C.V. Bethel and C.R. Walker senior high schools on July 22 at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.
The new energy source, which offers a hands-on, minds-on approach for traditional classrooms and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) based curriculum, empowers students to understand wind power, solar power, energy storage and more. It uses both wind and solar energy through a pinwheel/turbine and can adequately provide power for phones, laptops, security cameras and other devices on campus.
Rochelle Scott, Education Officer, shares information about the Magnet Programme.
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In the new school year, the Seedlings, an investment of funds by the Department of Education (DOE) and the Government of The Bahamas, will be put to use through the a new Magnet Programme for Sustainable Technology.
The initial cohort for the programme will comprise 15 students -- Sustainable Energy at Doris Johnson and CV Bethel; and Robotics at CR Walker.
”The new programme would help ensure that our students are globally competitive in new and emerging career opportunities that are out there for them. We hope that these devices would manifest into a continued growth and development of technical studies throughout the length and breadth of The Bahamas,” said, Rochelle Scott, Education Officer with responsibility for Technical Studies.
Keyshan Bastian, Assistant Director of Education speaks at the Press Conference.
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“As it grows the goal is to have 45 students in the programme. There will be 15 students for grade 10 and each additional year there will be 15 more students with 45 at each school in each program; 45 in robotics and 45 at the 2 schools with sustainable technology.
“All students from every junior high school would have an opportunity by applying to the Magnet Programme to participate at those schools.”
Keyshan Bastian, Assistant Director of Education, said, “We embrace the continued growth of STEM education through career and technical education in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. It’s an exciting time in education because while we have expanded career and technical education offerings, we are expanding STEM education, which is the buzz word now globally.
“For Bahamian students, we now have robotic and sustainable energy in addition to the complement of technical studies programmes that are being offered to Bahamian students for the first time.
Dr. Marcellus Taylor, Director of Education gives remarks.
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“We are excited to see the seedlings that the students have for sustainable energy that are able to power small devices at this juncture, but moving forward we are looking for sustainable devices that can power your homes.”
She explained that the investment of funds for the Seedlings was made to ensure that the same technology that is available at some independent schools is also available to public school students on a larger scale.
“The vision is always to expand but because the resources are very costly we are always open to public/private partnerships that can assist us with expanding to other institutions.”
Dr. Marcellus Taylor, Director of Education, said: “In 2015, the global community and the UN agreed that we have to think about how we develop the globe in a sustainable way. Global warming leads to rising sea levels. Rising sea levels means low lying places like the Commonwealth of The Bahamas can be under water; substantial portions of what is now dry land can be under water. So many people are going to be impacted by it in our country.
“The global community sounded the alarm. We need to think about development in sustainable way. The Bahamas, being one of the countries exposed to this, now has to take its steps. If we’re going to operate in a new way there has to be change.”
He advised administrators and teachers to expect challenges as the programme is implemented and encouraged them not to abandon it. He encouraged students and their families to embrace the opportunities and view them as opportunities to grow and develop, to improve themselves and their country.
Dr. Taylor acknowledged Mrs. Bastian, the Career and Technical team, the teachers and students who will be enrolled for stepping out into a new venture.
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