Ministry of Education conducts survey amongst youth
The Ministry of Education and Culture wants the youth of the
territory to help chart the course of future programming relating
to matters affecting
them. A questionnaire is now being circulated aimed at gathering
information about a number of issues.
An official at the Ministry of Education and Culture told the
Island Sun that the questionnaire has been widely distributed
and is available from
the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Security Desk at the
Central Administration Building, the H. Lavity Stoutt Community
College and
youth groups throughout the territory. The issues relate to adolescent
sexual reproductive health, domestic violence, substance abuse,
regional
integration and Caribbean unity, youth participation and empowerment,
the elimination of discrimination and the promotion of respect
for
diversity.
The questionnaire, which was released February 2nd, is expected
to be in circulation for another week, according to the official
at the Ministry.
Youth are required to give their opinion on whether education
is available and readily accessible to address adolescent sexual
reproductive
health issues; whether parents are discussing sexual issues with
adolescents; whether schools offer lessons on sexual reproductive
health and is
there enough awareness on this issue in the media.
They are also being asked to define domestic violence according
to their understanding of the subject; say whether they think
domestic violence
is a common occurrence in the BVI and whether there are accessible
support systems in place for victims. On the subject of substance
abuse,
the questionnaire asks youth to say whether they think this problem
exists in the BVI and whether there are support systems in place
for abusers.
The territory’s young people also have the opportunity
to say whether they think the BVI discriminates against expatriates
and whether they
know of any programmes in place to address the promotion of respect
for diversity. In addition, there is a section that allows the
youth to
indicate whether there are any other issues they feel the Ministry
should be addressing.
Respondents are not required to include their name anywhere on
the questionnaire. They are simply required to answer a list
of 16 questions,
write a short statement, make suggestions and indicate whether
they are male or female and their age. The questionnaires should
be sent in to the
Ministry of Education and Culture.
Youth affairs was recently given more focus with the addition
of the portfolio to the Ministry of Education and Culture, which
is now the Ministry
of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports. “We are
now in the process of establishing a Youth and Sports Department
and this
information will be used to form the base of our programme,”
she stated.
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