I am Myron V. Walwyn, Minister of Education and Culture, and it is with pleasure that I take this opportunity to address educators, parents, students and the general community at the start of the 2016 – 2017 school year.

Good Morning

First, let me also take this opportunity to thank you, Governor Mapp and your team for the gracious welcome this morning. 

My fellow residents of and visitors to the Virgin Islands, the recent announcement of five laboratory confirmed cases of the Zika Virus has understandably given rise to some concerns, but there is no cause for undue alarm. We have been monitoring the spread of this mosquito-borne virus across the Americas and the Caribbean region since local transmission was first reported in Brazil in May 2015. When local transmission was later detected in St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and the neighbouring US Virgin Islands, we anticipated that it would not be long before the virus reached the shores of the BVI.

Greetings Virgin Islands educators and school administrators. Let me offer you all a hearty welcome back from your vacations and wish you in advance, an exciting and successful 2016/2017 school year.  It is once again a time for new dreams and aspirations, the opportunity to reflect and make new plans for the success of our students, and another chance to impact the lives of the young people whose education has been entrusted to us.

“One of the aims of the Ministry is to prepare students to be globally competitive.”

This week marks the two-year point in my tenure as your Governor and I thought it might be useful to take stock of the past 24 months and to look ahead at the coming year.

In their online publication, BVI Platinum News published an article titled: “Red Alert – UK Had Deep Concerns about Airport Project”.

Each year, we come here to this historic site — the Sunday Morning Well — to celebrate, to remember, to reflect on the story of how our forebears went from struggles to triumph.

Ladies and gentlemen, this weekend we will come together to mark one of our most important historical and cultural events, the Annual BVI Emancipation Festival celebrations, which will continue across this Territory over the next few days.

Ladies and Gentleman of the Press, good afternoon.

Today I would like to engage with you on some of the pertinent international issues of the day and then turn to my Government’s efforts in tourism development.