Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Big plans to develop education, sports and culture laws this year

Big plans to develop education, sports and culture laws this year

Developing and strengthening the education, sports, and culture sectors has become a large part of Virgin Islands government’s mandate moving into the 2022 parliamentary year.

Delivering his Speech from the Throne address earlier today, Governor John Rankin said there will be new legislation and legislative amendments in those three sectors.

Education


Governor Rankin said the government is committed to building an educational system that caters to all students regardless of their academic, mental or physical ability. He added that the government will seek adjustments to the Education Act, 2004 and its Amendment Act, 2014 to ensure teaching and learning align with the needs of the students to become proficient in their overall development.

“The adjustments will consider the demand for online learning where schools and classrooms must have in place technology-driven standards. It will also seek to expand and enhance the technical and vocational skills programmes to increase the pool of skilled workers and strengthen entrepreneurial skills of the current and future generations of Virgin Islanders,” Governor Rankin said.

The governor also noted that a discipline policy and revised student code of conduct are important to the Education Act. The policy has been updated to include a positive behavioural framework that emphasizes prevention and student support services. It focuses on values, relationships, and skills building.

“A Virgin Island Referral, Intervention and Individualized Educational Policy has been created to further strengthen the Education Act by establishing consistent guidelines and procedures for providing school-based special education,” Rankin added.

Meanwhile, the government will be looking to update the National Scholarship Programme which was started more than 40-years ago. This programme is one of the avenues where the government has supported the education and training of residents. As such, the National Scholarship Policy has been updated to ensure it is in line with the current and future requirements of the Virgin Islands in the areas of education and training.

“To accompany the National Scholarship Programme, the Virgin Islands Government will seek to amend the 49-year-old Scholarship Trust Fund, 1972 and the 38-year-old Regulations, 1983 to ensure both pieces of regulations reflect or ever-revolving society and world,” the Governor added.

Sports


The Governor said educational development also involves recreational and sports. As such, the government will seek to establish the Virgin Islands National Sports Council Act to provide a comprehensive management structure to inform sports and recreational development in the territory.

“The National Sports Policy, which was established in 2014, will be revised and updated to align with the objectives of the National Sports Council and meet the emerging needs of sports development in the Virgin Islands. To further ensure that sports and recreation in the Virgin Islands remain on the competitive edge for the development of athletes, the Recreation Trust Act, 1966 which was amended in 2012, will be consolidated with the Recreation Trust Regulation,” the Governor disclosed in his speech.

Culture


Governor Rankin also noted cultural development is important to the educational development of the territory. He added that the Cultural Policy of 2013 will be revised to integrate a new focus on developing creative industries, protecting the storing and development of tangible and intangible Virgin Islands cultural heritage, and enhancing cultural education.

“In addition, the Museum Collection Policy will be developed. This policy will then form the basis for a strategic plan. The Virgin Islands Festival Affairs Act, 2005 will be reviewed and revived in this context. It will seek to bring the emancipation celebrations and other festivals into stronger focus as we showcase the Virgin Islands culture and heritage and make them sustainable,” Governor Rankin said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×