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At the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School they were received by Principal Ms Suzette Cannonier, and Principal of the Violet Petty Primary School Ms Kathuel Browne. In attendance were 120 students of the host primary school and another 85 students from the Violet Petty Primary School.

 

Addressing the attentive students, and their teachers, Prime Minister Harris told them of the five Explorers Clubs which he noted were formed to give young people a chance to develop good values and to develop strong relationships of working together.  The pioneering Mol-Phil Explorers Club draws a large section of its membership from students attending the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School.

 

“It is important that we give as much solidarity to young people, and independence reminds us that as a young nation we must depend upon the young people to execute their potential as responsible persons if our country is to move forward,” said Dr Harris, who noted that 65% of the nearly 60,000 persons in St. Kitts and Nevis are below age 35.

 

“And you the students will have to help us by ensuring when you see your mother smoking, you tell her ‘mother stop smoke, the Prime Minister said that is bad, and Dr Hazel Laws (Chief Medical Officer) said that it is bad for our health’,” the Prime Minister advised the attentive students, further telling them to inform their school principals, without calling names, if they see any one smoking.

 

Dr Harris observed that teachers have to be sensitive to the general physical environment and how it impacts upon students’ responsiveness to learning in the classroom, ending by saying: “We have to develop our PTA programmes to help address some of these issues that are out there in the communities impacting upon young people’s abilities to learn.”

 

Prime Minister Harris delivered a similar message at the Edgar T. Morris Primary School, which he noted that it was his old school in the days it was called the Tabernacle Primary School. As part of his address he quoted Bible scriptures which teach that ‘A child will lead’. Welcoming them was local Principal Mr Dale Phipps, and the Principal of Estridge Primary School Ms Mercia Dore, teachers and students.