Published 18 October 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Prime Minister Harris underscores importance of parents’ role in their children’s lives
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, October 18, 2018 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris has once again reiterated that parents play a very important role in the lives of their children, while observing that positive motivation does not require a parent to be an expert in the area he is or she is attempting to help their children.
“You do not have to know the modern maths or the modern English to encourage your child to learn,” said Dr Harris. He stated that a parent could help their child by asking the right questions, and also by asking if the child has any homework. A loving and caring parent should also visit the teacher to ask how the child is doing, noting that it can provide positive motivation to the child.
Prime Minister Harris made the remarks on Wednesday October 17 when he delivered feature remarks at the 15th Annual Help-a-Child Programme Primary School Scholarship Award ceremony that was held at the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Bourryeau. A total of 85 students from the four primary schools in Constituency Number Seven and the Cotton Thomas Comprehensive School in Basseterre each received bursaries valued at $500.
“Children learn better when they know that their parents are interested in what they do, when they see their parents going to the PTA meetings, when they see their parents come in to see them on the sports field, when they see their parents joining their class to go to church on a special day or even every Sunday,” explained Dr Harris.
The Honourable Prime Minister pointed out that the involvement of an interested parent makes the difference in the life of their children, and that research carried out on over 5,000 students in the OECS had indicated that the most important factor in their lives was the parents. He hoped that the information from the research would guide and encourage more of the parents to be involved with their children all the time.
“I want to recognise all the parents, fathers and mothers, father-figures, and those who are standing in as mothers also for these children,” said Dr Harris. “It is important that you are here not only because this is a very special moment, but because you want to set the example and to demonstrate to your child or children that you will always be there.”
Help-a-Child Programme, which is the brain child of Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, was started in 2004 as he firmly believes that education is still the best gift a parent can give a child. It provides $500 annual bursaries to each of the identified children from Constituency Number Seven, which he represents in the National Assembly, who are attending the four primary schools in the constituency and the Cotton Thomas Comprehensive School in Basseterre.
According to the programme’s coordinator Ms Myrtilla Williams, when the programme started in 2004 it assisted 24 children in that particular year. This year a record 85 children were awarded the bursaries, bringing the total number of students assisted so far to 588 and the value of the total bursaries over the years coming to $294,000.
ENDS
Pix captions:
1: Proud parents Mr Kenny Browne and Mrs Jacinth Browne stand with their daughter Miss Kenja Browne as she received her bursary from Prime Minister Harris.
2: Shaking hands with PM Harris is Mr Ericson Wescott who stood with his granddaughter Miss Mia Hope Romney. Her mother Ms Camille Romney was also at the awards ceremony.
3: A cross-section of students and their parents who had thronged the Mount Carmel Baptist Church for the Help-a-Child Programme awards ceremony on Wednesday October 17.
