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| Mr. Swain presents a Canadian souvenir to Minister Herbert (left), while looking on is Dr Gonsalves. |
Charlestown Nevis (April 28, 2004) -- A Canadian primary school teacher, who is currently a student at the Simon Frazer University, British Columbia, completes his ten-day international practicum at St. Thomas Primary School Friday.
Mr Andrew Swain who is employed by the Vancouver School Board as a Special Education Assistant was attached to the Nevis public school under graduate teacher Mr Stevenson Manners of grade five, in the period Monday April 19 to Friday April 30.
Junior Minister with responsibility for Education and Library Services, the Hon Mr Livingston Herbert, told GIS that it was his hope that by having Mr Swain in Nevis for his practicum that it would open up a door where Nevis could establish a mutually beneficial relationship with the Education Department at Simon Frazer University.
By establishing the relationship, the Education Minister commented that “in the not too distant future, and this is my hope, that we will have reciprocal visits and that we can develop, as it were, an incentive programme where our teachers who excel can be afforded the opportunity to visit British Columbia.”
St. Thomas’ Primary School was built with funds provided by the Canadian Government, and asked if that was the reason why Mr Swain was posted to the school, Minister Herbert answered: “It is really more or else coincidental and we are happy that if this is the start of a new relationship - we certainly welcome it.”
The Canadian university student who was introduced to Minister Herbert on Wednesday by the Education Planner in the Nevis Island Administration, Dr Bronte Gonsalves, said that by being in Nevis he hoped to learn from the Island’s education system and at the same time share Canadian experience in the classroom.
While here, he was expected to observe teachers in the classroom and be able to see what education was like on Nevis. According to him, it would broaden his knowledge base and provide him with skills and tools that he would be able to use when he returns to Canada. He commented that the experience had allowed him to see the different ways of thinking and approaching education.
“This is for teacher certification. I am in a programme where I do special education in the daytime and on nights and weekends I go to a teachers’ college,” noted Mr Swain, who added, “I have been really welcomed by the St. Thomas Primary School and the doors have been open. I have been going to each classroom, but my home class is grade five, Mr Stevenson Manners’ class.”
Education Planner, Dr Bronte Gonsalves, told GIS that Mr Andrew Swain initiated the international practicum project with the cooperation of his mother who is a frequent visitor to Nevis. His university contacted the Education Department in Nevis and that is how he was invited to come to the island.
“This is actually the first practicum we have had from an international student,” observed Dr Gonsalves. “Hopefully, once Andrew returns to Canada and promotes Nevis, through his report on his experiences in the education system here, we will have more Canadian students coming to Nevis.”
She further noted that although Mr Swain was attached to only one grade, he had visited and made presentations in other grades and done some teaching as well. On Wednesday he was given a tour of all the primary schools on the island, to which Dr Gonsalves added: “I think he is very excited about education on Nevis and what is happening in our schools.”
