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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Bahamas Information Services Updates
MINISTER OF EDUCATION’S ADDRESS TO PRESS RE 2020 NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS MONDAY, 4TH JANUARY, 2021This afternoon, I find myself asking the question, what is it that has made it possible for me to stand here today, having stepped into a new year, imbued with confidence in the face of criticism and infused with a spirit of true gratitude? It is the grace of giving. 2020 had its difficulties and it would be very easy for us to overlook the blessings that we received during the past year, such as new additions to families, the relationships that blossomed, the goals that were met, and the myriad of victories. Yes, there were major, indeed seemingly unsurmountable challenges that occurred, but those challenges were met through the grace of giving. Across the archipelago of The Bahamas, this grace of giving was evident with numerous people giving freely and altruistically, in spite of life’s circumstances, giving in the midst of a very severe trial, giving as much as they were able, and, at times, even beyond their ability. Their grace of giving often exceeded our expectations. From my vantage point, nowhere was this grace of giving more apparent than in the arena of education. It is undeniable that in 2020, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to ravage our nation’s education system, to wreck the solid foundation that had been so painstakingly established over the many decades.. Yet, despite the fact that the system was still laboriously working to repair the damages caused by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, in response to the uncertainties and formidable challenges introduced by COVID-19, the Ministry of Education decided to advance with the sitting of the Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) and Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) national examinations, which began on July 1st, 2020, several months behind schedule. Why was this decision made? We believed that it was our duty to the children of the nation to offer them the opportunity to take the examinations for which many had prepared so fervently for years, encouraged by parents, guardians, teachers and other concerned supporters. So they were given the choice to sit the examinations. We believed that those who wished to take it should be allowed to exercise their democratic right to do so. This was a choice that, if made, would open the doors of opportunity for many of them. And in offering them this opportunity, the Ministry of Education strove to ensure that all educators and the youth of the nation were treated with the utmost regard for their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. This was accomplished
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