Education Officer, Mrs. Palsy Wilkin chaired the ceremony which saw over three hundred (300) teachers from the island’s pre-school, primary and secondary schools, in attendance.

Mr. Parry said the country’s growth and development are reliant on the education of the youths who are the country’s future.

Addressing the teachers, Mr. Parry further said, “When I meet the young men and women of our island, I have found that the young women seem so intelligent and assertive while the young men are usually shy and small. We need to help them and give them some recognition.”

“This could be the reason why a number of young men choose to use guns, as they try to hide their inadequacy. I hasten to add that it is important that teachers, parents and those in the community reach out to them and make them feel and understand that they belong,” he explained.

Mr. Parry also briefly spoke about a pilot project to be implemented in the near future which will focus on character building.

He also urged individuals to have a positive outlook on the country’s situation as it relates to crime as not to deter tourists from visiting, noting that a value system and ethics programme should instead be re-evaluated.

Mr. Parry spoke about his Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) – led Administration’s vision to make certain, each household on the island has at least one member attaining tertiary level education.

“I know that there are many people who do not believe that this vision can become a reality but when you look at some countries in Asia, it has been a dream and today most parts of Asia have seen this idea become a reality and they have experienced financial wealth due to education,” said Mr. Parry.

The Back to School Opening Ceremony and was held under the theme, “Breaking Barriers, Building Capacity, Strengthening the Bond Between the School and the Community!”