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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Bahamas State of the Nation Report Launched at The College of The Bahamas
By The College of The Bahamas Office of Communication
Apr 14, 2016 - 11:49:37 PM
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NASSAU, Bahamas - Civil society, students, Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union of the United Nations, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) executives, and raft of other distinguished guests gathered at the Oakes Field Campus of The College of The Bahamas to witness the unveiling of what has been called “the first milestone” on the path to a National Development Plan. That first step is the State of the Nation Report (SNR), and according to Prime Minister Perry Christie the entire process gives The Bahamas a fresh opportunity to determine its own future.
College of The Bahamas President Dr. Rodney Smith deemed the Harry C. Moore Library “a fitting place to hold the launch of the State of the Nation Report (SNR), the first milestone for The Bahamas toward a National Development Plan.” Dr. Smith said, “The College of The Bahamas has played a critical role as a part of the development of the State of the Nation Report, including research, hosting events, providing facilities, offering leadership and engaging in consultations.”
“Most significantly, The College has also agreed to be a long-term partner with the government in the monitoring of the implementation of the plan. As such this is a very special occasion for The College, and we are pleased to host this event, which we expect to be an annual event to bring together leaders with the citizens and residents of the country to discuss the state of the nation,” Dr. Smith said.
Calling on The Bahamas to continually strive to “do better” Dr. Smith committed The College to stand with the leadership of The Bahamas as the country makes the journey to “better.”
Prime Minister Christie opened his remarks by recognizing the importance of the plan is framed in the national conversation.
“This plan is not a PLP plan, but a plan for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” Mr. Christie said, recognizing “with gratitude” the presence of the Free National Movement (FNM) and Democratic National Alliance (DNA). “It’s going to take those of us who are leaders to rise up above the normal everyday politics of The Bahamas,” he asserted.
The prime minister said the development of the plan gives the country the chance to once again ask “the big questions” and “give the big answers.” “This is why we’re here: we’re here to take ownership of our future and to recognize that we have an obligation to those who will bless our shores in future generations to protect and promote all that is right in our country,” Mr. Christie said.
The prime minister also spoke to the importance of completing the transition to the University of The Bahamas. On a personal level, he pointed out that he had spoken over the years to the University of the West Indies, University of Cayman Islands and elsewhere, and professed a deep urgency to speak at the University of The Bahamas.
“As we speak to governance, I’ve always seen the professors at the University of The Bahamas as being direct participants in shaping the future of our country. That is what we must anticipate, and that is what we must expect from them,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the State of the Nation overview presented by Felix Stubbs, Chair of the National Development Plan Steering Committee, it was asserted that improvements to the country must begin with human capital.
“Education is critical to our success as a country,” said Mr. Stubbs.
“The reality of our current state…is that too many of our citizens are ill-equipped to reach their full potential. Tertiary and vocational education is outside of the reach of too many students because of inadequate performance at the high school level and a lack of resources…The low levels of skills attainment in this country, however, affect all aspects of life: our productivity in the workplace, our ability to earn a decent wage to support our families, our dignity,” he said.
“Therefore, our Report has pointed out the dire need to continue to invest in education to support both, our young people and our not so young people, who wish to upgrade their skills. Learning and skills acquisitions must be a lifelong activity. This must be a common duty that all Bahamians feel is their responsibility for themselves and their children,” Mr. Stubbs said.
© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com
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