NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (JUNE 03, 2013) — Premier of Nevis and Minister of Education in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Vance Amory, said it was incumbent on everyone to seek to get a clearer understanding of what their responsibilities were in the development of children during the month-long celebration of Child Month. He urged them to take a new look at how they could best transact the bond with their children in an effort to accomplish best results.
Mr. Amory was at the time delivering an address on May 31, 2013, to herald in the observance of the month of June designated Child Month 2013, set aside by Early Childhood Education officials on St. Kitts and Nevis to highlight the growth and development of children.
“While we celebrate each year in June and focus on the development of our children, it is to be noted that too many children still suffer physical, mental and sexual abuse and are exposed to too many traumatic experiences which may mean that we do not fully understand and appreciate the awesome responsibility which is expected of us in respect to nurturing, protecting and training our children.
“During this month, I challenge all of us, to take a fresh look at what this period really means to us and really what it is meant to accomplish… There is a serious truism which says ‘Children learn what they see’. They learn more from example than from precept and it is in this context, that I want us to recognise that we as adults, in our communities, have a responsibility to show even as we seek to teach, to practise as we seek to preach, to respect our children even as we expect them to respect us,” he said.
The Minister of Education challenged all, to understand children and find ways to acquire the wisdom to understand and guide them even as they wished the children to understand what they were being taught.
Mr. Amory explained that children were observant of adults and mimicked what they did but their creativity could change the world if guided in the right direction.
“Their minds are fertile but fragile; their bodies are sacred and delicate but the correct dosage of love, care, respect, protection, discipline and encouragement could create persons of great creativity and mental and physical strength, persons with dignity and respect and change the course of our world,” he said.
He noted that children came into the world as fragile impressionable human beings with a clean clear page on which adults, parents, teachers, leaders in the community could create something of value from the very earliest stages of encounter with them.
According to Mr. Amory, it was never too early to begin the process of educating, socialising and training because during the formative years children began to develop their attitudes and attributes and form their character.