“He who opens a school door, closes a prison,” Victor Hugo
It is a true saying that the richest resource of a nation is its people. I venture further to say that the most valuable asset of a people, apart from their spiritual strength, is their education. Our strength has been tested over the past weeks as some of our islands experienced mass flooding from TS Cristobal. As a result, our government schools remain closed for another week. But for those schools that will open as scheduled, I take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome for the new school year.
Education gives you a good start in life. It gives you a chance to open your minds because anything you can learn expands the mind. It will also make a difference to your future. Above all, it is about your personal development. It is up to you whether or how you will make the journey. As the saying goes, “The mind is like the stomach. It is not how much you put into it but how much it digests.”
So, I urge you students to work hard this school year. Take optimum advantage of all the opportunities that are available to you. You are the future of this country and the future Turks & Caicos will need the skills you are acquiring. It is our job as members of the legislature to provide you with the educational tools and infrastructure so that you can fulfill your God-given potential.
Therefore, on behalf of the Opposition and the wider Peoples Democratic Movement, I would like to extend words of welcome and support for all the returning and new students to all schools in the Turks & Caicos Islands. I wish also to welcome all returning and new teachers as well as returning and newly appointed Principals and Vice Principals.
Hon. Josephine O. Connolly, BSc (Hons) MSc., CIPD
Shadow Minister for Education
