Chief Education Officer touts industry-education arts partnership

A strong partnership between industry and education is crucial for the sustainable development of the creative arts sector and the jobs it generates, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw stressed as the Ministry of Education launched a student exhibition on Monday.

Dr Archer-Bradshaw called for a cultural shift in how creative arts careers are perceived. She noted that the increasing interest among students in the creative arts highlights the need to recognise the economic benefits these professions can offer.

“The partnership between industry and education must continue to strengthen as our education evolves to become more relevant and modern, addressing the needs of a 21st-century Barbados,” Dr Archer-Bradshaw said.

She further emphasised that careers in the creative arts should no longer be viewed as a “secondary discipline”, but as professions that can significantly contribute to the nation’s development.

“The arts, whether fine arts, industrial technology or the culinary arts, must never be viewed as a second [option]. It should never be seen as a second discipline, valuable only for displays like these or for concerts and entertainment segments in school programmes. There is much development to be had as a nation through our exploration of the orange economy, with desired expansion in key areas like make-up artistry, set design, among others,” she added.

The top education official was speaking at the opening of the ministry’s Arts in Focus exhibition at Pelican House, Harbour Road. The exhibition, she said, reflects METVT’s commitment to recognising diverse learning pathways and its responsibility to foster and promote the arts within education. She expressed the hope that the exhibition would inspire greater interest in the cultural, culinary, and technical industries.

During a tour of the exhibition, which features a range of creative works including leatherwork, textiles, and photography, Archer-Bradshaw encouraged Barbadians to visit and support the talents of the island’s students.

“I am exceedingly proud of the students of Barbados,” she said. “I saw the art, I saw the leathercraft, I saw the work that they did with the textiles, [and] I invite the people to come down to the BIDC building and see the displays.

“Our students within our schools are exceedingly talented, and this is one of the opportunities that the Ministry of Education Technological and Vocational Training has provided for our students to display their talents.”

The exhibition runs until Friday.

(SB)