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Low 66 percent average pass in CXC exams
Students in the island scored 2.5 per cent lower than last year, to attain an overall average pass at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams of just 66.07 per cent. The Mirror dedicates its front page to this news. According to the paper, of a total of 12,109 total subject entries from the island's sixteen secondary schools at the General Proficiency level, there were 7,879 passes, according to figures released this week by the Ministry of Education. The Mirror and Voice report this. The worst overall performance was recorded in mathematics, where the pass rate was as low as 36.39%. Typing results were also very low, with 34.25%. These low scores are off-set by a 100% pass in Home Economics, Clothing and Textiles (97%), Mechanical Engineering (93%), Visual Arts (80.90%), Principles of Business (78%), Building Technology (90%), Woodwork (90%), Agricultural Science (85%), Integrated Science (85%) and Caribbean History (70.62%). With the exception of two, pass rates at all schools declined this year. St. Joseph's Convent went from 93.43% last year to 91.53% this year; St. Mary's College from 87.96% to 78.47%; Castries Comprehensive School from 77.34% to 72.29%; Micoud Secondary from 62.65% to 52.77%, George Charles Secondary from 45.49% to 39.79%.
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Back to school: 'shift classes' in Babonneau and Anse Ger
Some 635 secondary school students start the new school year taking turns with other students in occupying class rooms. Due to set-backs, the new secondary schools for Babonneau and Anse Ger could not be completed for the start of the new academic year. As a result, 375 students who have been assigned to Babonneau Secondary are now to be accommodated at the Rock Hall Secondary school, between 12.45 and 5.15 pm. Rock Hall students are to attend morning classes, from 8 am to 12.30 pm. This is reported in The Star, this week.
In Anse Ger, 260 students will attend class at Micoud Secondary in the afternoon, while forms one, two and three of the Micoud Secondary will make up the morning shift. According to the Star, minister of Education Mario Michel says that: "The most the students will lose is about a half hour of instructional time". Michel hopes that the Babonneau and Anse Ger Secondary schools will be ready to accommodate their own students by January at the very latest.
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OECS aviation safe for millenium change
The Eastern Caribbean is safe for air traffic during and after the turn of the next millenium. This was announced by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) this week. All newspapers except One Caribbean carry the statement. The 'all safe' conclusion means that the FAA will not issue a negative travel advisory against OECS countries. The FAA approves of tests performed by the OECS Directorate of Civil Aviation with regard to Y2K compliance of flight data management systems, access, control and security, public safety, emergency systems, aeronautical information services and weather systems and services. Further development and testing of the OECS contingency plan is expected to be completed by 31st October.
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Employers owe NIS $36 million
Employers in St. Lucia owe the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) a total sum of $36 million in arrears. This was stated by NIS director Emma Hippolyte last Thursday, during a meeting with the Employers Federation. According to the Voice - the only newspaper to have carried the issue - Hippolyte called on employers to clear their arrears and cooperate with the NIS inspectors. "If an inspector has to visit your office three or four times in order to rectify errors on your C3 [form], you are in effect contributing to increases in the cost of administration of the Fund", Hippolyte is quoted as saying.
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Poisoning incident in Soufriere river: hundreds of fish dead
Fishermen and residents in the town of Soufriere woke up last Wednesday to the sight of hundreds of dead fish floating down the river and into the bay. While investigations are being carried out to formally establish the source and nature of the contamination, accusing fingers are being pointed at the Soufriere coconut oil factory. Management of the factory, however, denies all responsibility.
The Voice leads both its Thursday and Weekend editions with the river poisoning incident and television news broadcasts this week also dedicated attention to the topic. Of the other newspapers, only the Star devotes space to the calamity.
The Star quotes Kai Wulf, manager of the Soufriere Marine Management Area (SMMA) - an organisation attached to the Department of Fisheries - as saying that preliminary results indicate that the substance which killed animal life in the river was "coconut oil mixed with some kind of salt". Furthermore, Wulf states, there are "clear indications that this is a coconut product which was released in very large quantities into the river". In the Voice, Wulf is quoted as saying that the oil found in the river on Wednesday could be traced to a stream (ravine) which flows through the copra factory before joining the Soufriere river. If waste oil from the factory is dumped into the river, this could enter fish's gills and suffocate them, Wulf maintains.
According to Soufriere residents and officials, this is at least the third time that this kind of catastrophe has befallen the Soufriere river, although never previously as seriously as this.
The Star reports that local hotels have contacted SMMA with concerns about the white oily substance which is now washing up on their beaches, and the Soufriere Water Taxi Association is up in arms also, as the pollutant "appears to strip the $600 per gallon anti-fouling agent from the bottom of their boats" - according to the Star.
The Soufriere Copra factory, where coconut oil is produced, is owned by the St. Lucia Coconut Growers' Association. In a statement to the press, the factory's management claims that "no toxic substance" has been discharged into the river.
Meanwhile, the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) has collected samples of dead fish and the pollutant to establish the exact source and nature of the catastrophe. Under section 45 of the fisheries regulation, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment can impose any fine he deems fit on the contaminator. He can also hold the contaminator responsible for the cost of clean-up measures, and for financial compensation to members of the public whose livelihoods have been adversely affected.
Despite warning calls from SMMA and the Department of Fisheries, some people have proceeded to collect the dead fish for consumption or for sale.
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C&W internet access to improve in weeks to come
Busy lines and slow connections on the internet will be "a thing of the past" within "the next few weeks", Cable and Wireless promises. In a release to the media this week, the island's sole telecommunications provider announced that faster and more efficient equipment is being installed, in order to cope with the almost twofold increase in local internet subscription which has occurred recently. One Caribbean, the Voice and Mirror report on this. According to C&W, traffic on the domestic server surged following reductions in the cost of internet access, three months ago. Originally, C&W intended to phase in new equipment to deal with increaded traffic, but those plans have now been accelerated. Besides upgrading equipment and facilities, C&W also plans to put in place an Internet Customer Service Centre, and to redesign its internet platform.
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Global broadcasting of third series of 'Apwe Plezi'
The tremendously popular, locally produced radio serial drama 'Apwe Plezi' has begun production of its third series and broadcasting of new episodes starts this week. Both Radio St. Lucia and Helen 100 will broadcast the series - which means that people all around the world can listen in 'live' through Helen 100's website (www.htsstlucia.com). This is reported in the Weekend Voice and Mirror newspapers.
'Apwe Plezi' originally came about as a result of work done by the RARE Centre for Tropical Conservation - an organisation which felt that conservation of nature starts with increased awareness of family planning issues. The new series comes under the responsibility of a committee of local individuals committed to seeing the continued broadcasting of the show's message of socially responsible behaviour. 'Apwe Plezi' contains educational messages concerning such social issues as AIDS, illegal drug use, family planning and unwanted pregnancy. According to the press release, "In addition to educating the nation, 'Apwe Plezi' continues to serve as an employer of actors, writers and production crew, in fact over 60 talented Saint Lucians were, and remain involved in the production of the show". All involved (except the Board of Management) are paid for their services. The third series (comprising 52 episodes) will cost $60,000 to produce and broadcast. Local sponsors are the Rotary Club and the St. Lucia Development Bank, while external funding comes from DOH International and the (EU funded) Nature Heritage Tourism Project. 'Apwe Plezi' will be broadcast on Helen FM on Mondays at 5.45pm (St. Lucian time), with a repeat on Saturdays at 7am, and on Radio St. Lucia on Fridays at 5.15pm.
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New Peace Corps sworn in
Twenty-one Peace Corps trainees were sworn in last Friday, bringing the total number of Peace Corps volunteers currently serving in St. Lucia to 31. After an additional three weeks of training, the volunteers will apply their services to the fields of Special Education/Remediation Intervention and Youth Development. They will be stationed in communities all around the island for the next two years, to work with the Ministry of Education, the Centre for Adolescents Rehabilitation and Education, Charterhouse High School and the Chamber of Commerce's Junior Achievement Programme. The Thursday Voice and Mirror report on this.
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Conditions at Boys Centre at Massade improving
"While the promise of new quarters for the [Boys Training Centre at Massade] is as fictitious as it has ever been, the conditions of work there have improved significantly. Over the last two weeks, improvements estimated to be worth some $89,000 have been made". This is reported in this week's Mirror, in a follow-up to the newspaper's earlier investigation, last month, which revealed that conditions at the Boys Centre were dismal. According to the Mirror, a leaking roof over one of the boys' dormitories has been repaired, broken windows have been replaced, new desks, chairs and a fridge have been received, a new toilet has been installed, and air conditioning units have made it possible for staff to re-occupy their offices.
According to The Mirror, although a $200,000 allocation for improvement of the Boys Centre was approved in the April 1999 budget, to date, this has not been made available to management of the centre. Furthermore, plans for relocation of the centre to the Boy Scouts Headquarters now appear uncertain.
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'Bachelor' 7th at 'King of Kings' : best non-Trini competitor
St. Lucia's reigning Calypso King, Bachelor, placed seventh at the 'King of Kings' show last Monday in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Described as a "generally good" show, but "not great or fantastic as advertised" (by the Mirror), Bachelor had to allow six Trinidadian calypso singers ahead of him before taking the highest ranking among the non-Trinidadian participants. Out of a field of eighteen competitors, seven were Trini's and five Barbadian. 'Black Stalin' took the 'King of Kings' crown and US$40,000 in prize money. The sole female competitor, Singing Sandra (reigning Queen of Trinidad and Tobago) placed third. The Star reports this.
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SLISBA plea for secretariat
The St. Lucia Industrial and Small Business Association (SLISBA) needs funding to be able to set up and run a secretariat. That is one of the messages SLISBA-president Edward Harris conveyed to Minister of Commerce, Dr. Walter Francois, during a three-hour meeting between the two, last week. Harris noted that SLISBA has been adversely affected in the past by inadequate funding which prevents the association from carrying out its mandate. The meeting between SLISBA and the Minister, which was described as "free and frank" by Harris, was called with the intention of strengthening relations between SLISBA and the ministry. The Thursday Voice pays attention to the topic.
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Struggle for liberty, not sufferance under slavery is quintessence of history
The struggle for liberty is the thing which all Caribbean people have foremost in common - more than music, cricket or politics. Moreover, liberty is a thing which must be taken, whether it is taken away from someone, or taken back. "If African people had not revolted, rebelled and generally disturbed the imperial peace, would the people of the Americas [today] be able to stand as advocates of freedom, justice and democracy?" - no. Under the heading 'Freedom fighters, not slaves', The Mirror this week dedicates a page to the UNESCO lecture for the International Day for Remembrance of the Slave Trade, which was delivered by St. Lucian historian Gregor Williams last Monday. In his lecture, Williams suggested ways for turning traditional accounts of St. Lucian history on their head - not by changing the facts but by reinterpreting them. According to The Mirror, Williams argued that the Western hemisphere today would be very different, and far less comfortable, if it had not been for the relentless attacks of runaways on the slave plantations. Instead of viewing St. Lucian history as one of abduction, bondage and forced labour, Williams perceives of this history as a vibrant struggle for increasing liberty - a liberty which was fought for, and brought about, by enslaved men and women themselves.
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International Eucharistic Congress launched
Sunday saw the launching of activities preceding the Eucharistic Congress which is due to be held in St. Lucia on 17-20th May next year. The Congress, which is organised by the Antilles Episcopal Conference, is expected to bring twenty-five Bishops, one hundred priests, several religious brothers and sisters, and over two thousand pilgrims from all over the world to St. Lucia. They will celebrate the two thousandth birthday anniversary of Jesus Christ. St. Lucia was chosen to host this large international event because the island's population of Roman Catholics surpasses that of the other islands in the Lesser Antilles. The Crusader, Star and Thursday Voice report this.
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Electoral system under scrutiny
A sociological survey meant to amass information about the efficacy of existing electoral and constitutency boundaries will get underway this week, with the arrival of Dr. Merlin Drinkeroff - a sociologist and Dean of the University of Calgary. The survey Drinkeroff is to execute comes under the auspices of the Unit for Promotion of Democracy of the Organisation of American States. This is reported in the Weekend Voice.
The survey comes as a result of a request made in February 1998, by PM Dr. Anthony, for technical assistance for technological improvement in the levels of efficiency and accountability of the nation's electoral systems. According to The Voice, the last general elections, "revealed several weaknesses and deficiencies in such areas as the population of existing constituencies, as well as historical inconsistencies in the alignment of constituency boundaries".
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St. Lucians in bid for OECS Entrepreneur of the Year
Linford Fevrier, founding partner and managing director of Helen Television, and Goddard Darcheville, chief-executive-officer of the CES Group of Companies are the two St. Lucians who have reached the finals of the prestigious 'OECS Entrepreneur of the Year Award' - an initiative of CIBC Caribbean Ltd and Ernst & Young consultants which started three years ago. Fevrier and Darcheville are up against thirteen other entrepreneurs (all owner-managers) from Barbados, St. Vincent and Antigua. The winner will be named and honoured at a Gala Awards Banquet at the Sherbourne Conference Centre in Barbados on Sunday 19th September. This is reported in The Mirror, this week. The Voice mistakenly mentions two other nominees.
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Long-distance BA course in Tourism Management underway
Obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Tourism & Hospitality Management: that is the aim of seven St. Lucians - all employees in the hotel industry - who have just started their first year as long-distance students at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada. The students are all recipients of scholarship funding from the Canadian government, valued at 15,000 Canadian dollars. The course will last three years. This is reported in the Voice, this week.
The scholarships are the result of cooperation between the St. Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association, the Ministry of Human resource Development, the Commonwealth of Learning, and the Canadian University. Teleconferencing, instruction and exchange via the Internet and lectures by guest-professors enable the students to study and take exams. The SLHTA officially coordinates the programme.
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The Voice, last week (28th August) carried the following notice in fine print:
"The Geest West Indies (1983) Pension Scheme
This notice is given pursuant to section 27 of the Trustee Act 1925.
Notice is hereby given that any persons having a claim or interest in the Geest West Indies (1983) Pension Scheme ("the Funded Scheme") are required to send particulars in writing by registered post of such claim or interest to the trustees of the Geest West Indies (1983) Pension Scheme c/o Bill Salmond, Windward Terminal, Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton SO15 1AJ United Kingdom within two months of the date below.
The Trustees of the Funded Scheme will distribute the remaining Funded Scheme assets in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Deed and Rules of the Funded Scheme among the Members and any other persons entitled to benefit having regard only to claims and interests of which they have had notice and will not in respect of the property so distributed be liable to any person of whose claims they shall not have had notice.
Any person who has already been notified of having an entitlement under the Funded Scheme or who has made a claim and received a response need not re-apply to the Trustees.
Dated this 27th Day of August 1999".
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