London a former school teacher, gave the youngsters a little lesson on Tobago social studies in response to their enquires.
The 14 fourth grade students from St. Georges Anglican Jr. School, Grenada chose Tobago for their overseas visit with their Head Teacher Winifred Jeremiah.
The students were visiting Tobago as part of an educational tour. Jeremiah told the Chief Secretary that children in grade four are expected to travel for the educational tour in Grenada. The school had previously visited St. Vincent. London told the visitors that choosing Tobago this year was a good move, eliciting a smile from them.
The students’ eight-day stay on the island included visiting various Tobago destinations including the Bucco Reef, hiking trails, church, and the Lowlands Mall. “In an educational tour, you have to learn things and you learn things by asking questions,” the Chief Secretary said as he invited the students to question him.
“Does Tobago have a national dish?” Jahiem Cutley asked. London replied that Tobago was known for its crab and dumpling.
Jeremiah asked for clarity regarding the name of Tobago’s airport, noting that the students were taught General Studies in school and knew it as the Crown Point Airport from their school lesson. The Chief Secretary told her of the airport’s name change last year to the A.N.R Robinson International Airport.
In response to questions, the Chief Secretary explained that the THA was the internal governance of Tobago, and that it was the “institution that is responsible for the day to day management of Tobago.” He said that the private sector was involved with retail trade and that the Cove Eco-Industrial Park would encourage manufacturing and foreign investments.
When asked about Grenada’s educational system, Jeremiah told the Chief Secretary the CPA exams had been implemented this year as the general exam to test students transitioning from secondary to primary school and that Grenada previously used the Common Entrance Exam.
Students take the exam in grade six.
The Chief Secretary said many of Tobago’s post-secondary students used the internet for further training. He said training should not just be about visits and noted that children today could interact with one another more consistently, including through emailing lessons and Skype.