The Barbados Community College (BCC) is putting measures in place to gain regional and international accreditation to ensure certification from that institution carries more weight beyond the island’s borders.
Principal Annette Alleyne made this disclosure on Sunday following a church service at the St Barnabas Anglican Church to mark BCC’s 55th anniversary.
Members of the congregation.
Alleyne said BCC is accredited by the Barbados Accreditation Council and efforts are underway to fast track other levels of accreditation.
“We are currently registered with the Barbados Accreditation Council, which is the first stage towards getting the accreditation status. We have an accreditation steering committee in place, and we also have teams for the accreditation where we look at the various standards that are required,” Alleyne said.
Alleyne added that the aesthetics of the campus were being improved and over the past three years eight labs were refurbished and upgraded with state-of-the-art facilities and other buildings that were considered to be health and safety risks were addressed.
The teaching fraternity of the BCC.
She said that some of the buildings were repainted such as the administration block, the Liberal Arts Department, the Division of Commerce as well as a few on MorningSide, noting that in the next financial year the college wanted to repaint more buildings.
The BCC principal also said that over the past five decades, the campus has produced outstanding professionals in society such as principals, politicians and even high ranking officials in the clergy.
During the service, the Anglican Bishop of Barbados Michael Maxwell, who is also a BCC alumnus, said that a good educational foundation was the key to success but it did not guarantee it. He said that one should not expect a job to fall into their lap but rather they must get up and seek out employment opportunities.
On the spiritual side, Maxwell said that as Christains, showing up for service, paying tithes and singing songs of praise and thanksgiving were not enough to serve God. He said God required his followers to live by justice, to help rectify the inequalities in life, such as hunger, abuse, discrimination and violence, that cause people to suffer and to strip them of their basic human rights.
He said it was important to help the elderly and provide opportunities to the disadvantaged.
Noting that it was necessary for the church to meet people where they are, Maxwell said God also required his people to show mercy, having mutual respect and displaying acts of kindness, love and forgiveness.
He added that God was calling worshipers to walk a certain path and act in a way that He would respond to things in the world. (SZB)
