This morning the National Council for Education held its inaugural meeting to officially appoint 15 members to the advisory body. The council is tasked with advising the Minister of Education in the various areas represented as it relates to education. The members are from the business community, the church, as well as adult and continuing education. Returning chairperson of the NCE Alice Castillo explained the body's role and its importance.
Alice Castillo, Chair
"The role of the National Council is to advise the Minister on all matters concerning education and to intervene where possible, to offer our advice, and the combined skills and talents of the people who make up the council. Very often the way the bureaucracy works, and the way the system is set up, the council did not actively get involved but I have been really making strides to do that and I have written him about it and he respects what comes from us, he really does. Whenever we have discussed and thrashed out an issue, I write him about it and he respects what we say and I have seen things that we have suggested come into play. So it is important that he sees the wider picture and he is not guided solely by those in his management team. I am not degrading their abilities at all, but the wider picture is also much better."
This council will serve for a two year stint up until 2007.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
