Anglican Bishop Reverend Michael Maxwell has advised teachers and students alike to “grow to be like Solomon” in their quest for knowledge.
He made the call as he delivered the sermon at this morning’s service at the Cathedral Church of St Michael and All Angels, to officially launch the start of Education Month. The theme of the month is Technology: The Bedrock of Innovation and Positive Development.
Bishop Maxwell lamented the fact that some young people were not taking advantage of the educational opportunities being made available to them. “There are however, unfortunately, a number of our young people today who are not of that mindset, who are not pursuing the wisdom and knowledge that God has made freely available through our Government, through our churches and the coffers of our nation’s taxpayers.
“They rather not go to these places of learning, but rather they prefer to lime at home or on the sidewalk, or if forced to attend these institutions, they also use them as liming spots, getting into mischief, focusing on other things, rather than the knowledge and wisdom being shared and also becoming detractors within the classrooms and places of learning,” Bishop Maxwell said.
However, he stressed that attaining wisdom and knowledge was important for success. The Bishop told the scores of children drawn from across the island’s primary and secondary schools who were present at the service to utilize every available opportunity to learn.
“Whenever you go into the classrooms, you must always see it as the opportunity to gain further knowledge. They must go with the attitude as someone who wants to gain as much knowledge and insight from their teachers, to get as much wisdom from them. For with such an attitude, they will then reap success and that wisdom will last them for a lifetime and foster a good future for them,” he said.
Teachers were also urged to see their jobs as much more than just a profession. The Bishop said while teachers were being asked to educate children in a “difficult environment”, it was their job to impart knowledge to their charges.
“As God’s instruments, all teachers are to see their profession as a vocation, as a calling from God to impart wisdom; that ability to discern and make good judgment as to what is true and what is right. But certainly, it is a profession that requires teachers themselves to heed the words of Solomon and to get wisdom, to pursue it in order to impart it.
“And teachers, you are also asked like Solomon to pray for wisdom, wisdom to know how best to carry out your vocation in leading our children, our nation’s children; wisdom and understanding on how to love and assist them as you teach them; how best to fulfil your role as teachers in this difficult climate where some of our children are very aggressive and where so many of our children are faced with distractions in their lives,” Bishop Maxwell said.
The service featured several performances from students including the Christ Church Girls’ School, Bay Primary School, as well as Darren Watson and Friends from the Alleyne School.
