Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

New focus on cultural education in BVI

New focus on cultural education in BVI

A restructuring of the Department of Culture has seen a new focus being placed on cultural education in the Virgin Islands.
The Culture Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley said the Cultural Education Unit in the department has been playing a massive role in the ministry’s push to have Virgin Islands history and culture becoming a staple in the local school curriculum at the three levels — primary, secondary and tertiary.

“We’ve gone through a restructure in the department. There was not a Cultural Education Unit before. Now we have more of a specific focus of the culture department in various areas. So, we have a Literary Arts Officer; we want to have a Performing Arts Officer, a Cultural Heritage Officer and we want a Visual Arts Officer and of course a Cultural Education Officer,” Wheatley said.

“When we get more people, we can form a unit. But many of these posts did not exist in the cultural department. We’ve placed specific focus on these areas and they are tasked with making these things happen and we are starting to see the fruits of their labour,” the Culture Minister added.

Wheatley also noted the Department of Culture had put together a Cultural Education Committee which has curriculum officers from the Ministry of Education. It also has people from Virgin Islands Heritage, Virgin Islands Study Institute and other stakeholders including the Chief Education Officer, Connie George. The Education Minister said this partnership should result in more local history in the local school curriculum.

“We are working with the Curriculum Unit now and those are the types of issues they are going to be working on, but definitely we want our local history and culture to play a more prominent role on the curriculum,” Wheatley said.

He noted the committee is having an ongoing dialogue on how and when to insert books on Virgin Islands history in the school curriculum and he is currently waiting on its recommendation before his ministry take the next step.

The Virgin Islands government has taken several steps over the last few years to develop BVI culture and history in the territory. Last year, the government implemented the BVI Culture and Tourism Month which is celebrated every November.

The month is focused heavily on highlighting Virgin Islands culture and spreading awareness across the territory. The month includes activities such as a performing arts showcase, a literary arts festival, several workshops on BVI culture and history and it concludes with the Anegada Lobster Festival.

This year, the government has implemented two new holidays to commemorate the Virgin Islands history — Heroes and Forefather’s Day used to celebrate key historical Virgin Islands figures, and the 1949 Great March and Restoration Day. The latter is used to commemorate the march of 1949 which led to the restoration of the Virgin Islands’ legislative council.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×