Ceremony is a part of any politician’s life, but today Education Minister Patrick Faber took it to another level when he held a three in one. Like a triple back flip in gymnastics, a triple Lutz in ice skating or the triple crown in horse racing – it’s a rare feat, accomplished maybe once a generation, if even that. But Faber pulled it off today with flair and aplomb, enduring two national anthems – both verses each time – and invocations – and hardly grimaced at the degree of difficulty – bringing new meaning to the term, “standing on ceremony.” And the ceremonies were for the commissioning of three groups: the National UNESCO Commission, the National Library Service and the National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. UNESCO has 17 members, the Library Service has 11 and the Vocational group has 14 – and each of them – a total of 42 - got a pin affixed to their shirts by the minister! It’s a wonder he didn’t leave the room with complaints of carpal tunnel syndrome!
After the Olympian feat – Faber gave the Press Office a post ceremony interview.
Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“The first is the UNESCO Commission which is the local body that liaisons with the larger body of UNESCO which is an international organization. It keeps us well grounded here, of course it addresses the issues that UNESCO ordinarily looks towards which primarily are those issues of the society, those of education, those of culture.
As it relates to the National Library Service, of course you that is very crucial to our efforts in education, especially seeing that we are at this time trying to target problems in literacy, making sure that we capture the problems that our students are having with literacy at a very early stage. On Monday of this week we rolled out a program called the CSEC program. I also signalled to them that we have looked at budget and that we do intend to give them an increase, however small it is, to ensure that the work of the library goes forward.
In addition we inaugurated the NCTVET board which is the body that is responsible to give advice to the office of the Minister to ensure that the efforts that we are making in technical and vocational education are moving in the forward direction. As you know there is a push and there has been a push to establish technical and vocational institutions nationwide. We are looking as well to ensure that technical and vocational education does not only come through these institutions but that it comes also through our high schools.”
It was also announced that Peter Poots Flores who sits on the UNESCO Board is being recommended for a post as Cultural Ambassador – a post that has been held by Andy Palacio.
