Grammar School hosts inaugural CSME Secondary School Summit

The Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) is an important vehicle which fuels, among other things, commerce and trade, but unfortunately many people, including students, do not know exactly what it is.

And with this in mind, on October 23, the business department of the St Vincent Grammar School (SVGS) held the inaugural SVGS Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) Secondary Schools Youth Summit.

Executive Director of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce Anthony Regisford delivering the keynote address

Speaking at the opening of the Summit, economics and principles of business (POB) teacher at the SVGS Roxanne Williams, one of the organizers of the event, explained that earlier this year, through the combined efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Trade & Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, she and business teacher at the Girls’ High School (GHS) Latoya DeRoche-John were invited to participate in the first ever CSME Secondary Schools teacher attachment programme.

The programme, which sought to enhance the implementation of CSME and advocate for the CSME in the region was funded by the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and took place form March 6 to 17, 2023 in several CSME states and involved teachers from throughout the region. The local delegation was hosted by Trinidad & Tobago.

Williams said the participants at the CSME Secondary Schools teacher attachment program were asked to be advocates of the CSME and on returning home, she decided to host a summit involving schools across the country.

“One of the main observations is that while many students were aware of the meaning of CSME and they understood what it implied, their understanding in most instances was limited. Many teachers here can also attest to this, we have to remedy that, we must change that,” Williams said.

Williams noted that the summit is an effort to, among other things, highlight the endless possibilities that exist within the CSME.

“Not only are there opportunities for growth and development of the business community within the region, but also the enhancement of the lives and livelihood of the Caribbean people as well as the potential of the full integration of the region,” Williams commented.

Also speaking at the conference, Headmaster of the SVGS Colin Sam said many students at the SVGS lack knowledge about what takes place outside the country.

“If I were to ask some of the students the capital of some of the countries in the Caribbean, they might not know, many of them,” Sam told the gathering at the National Insurance Services (NIS) conference room.

The theme for the summit was “You and Me, United with CSME” while the delegates spoke on the topic “CSME is a necessary vehicle for regional business growth and development”.

Sam said the Summit is important as it forces participants to develop research skills and learn about other countries. He also recalled that when he was in primary school, students had to learn things like the capitals of countries and the names of airports, information many students do not know today.

“Research like this, like what you have to do make your presentation, I am certain you would have garnered a lot of information that you may not have garnered prior to,” said Sam.

The Summit had as its objectives, to strengthen students’ understanding of the role and function of the CSME, to raise awareness of the benefits of the CSME to regional businesses and the labour force and to highlight the major achievements of the CSME in the various territories over the last decade.

The delegates and the schools and countries they represented at the Summit were Tierah Been of the North Union Secondary School (Antigua and Barbuda); Devano Providence of the St Vincent Grammar School (Bahamas); Jaleel DeSouza of the Emmanuel High School Mesopotamia (Barbados); Shade Baptiste of the St Joseph’s Convent Kingstown (Belize); Leslie-Ann Joseph of the Campden Park Secondary School (Dominica); Kristy Ann Dasent of the Adelphi Secondary School (Grenada); Ethan Isaacs of the St Vincent Grammar School (Guyana); Annaliese Mapp of the St Vincent Girls High School (Haiti); Mikela Bobb of the Dr J. P. Eustace Memorial Secondary School (Jamaica), Sierra Daize of the Troumaca Ontario Secondary School (Montserrat), Loic Paul of the St Vincent Grammar School (St Kitts and Nevis), Kyron Quashie of the St Martin’s Secondary School (St Lucia), Hyrone Johnson of the St Vincent Grammar School (St Vincent and the Grenadines), Dammany Roberts of the St Vincent Grammar School (Suriname) and Kelvena Fraser of the Bishop’s College Kingstown (Trinidad and Tobago).

Also present at the Summit were Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Keisal Peters, Senior Education Officer for Secondary Schools Dr Godwin James and Executive Director of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Chamber of Industry and Commerce Anthony Regisford.

Regisford delivered the feature address.