Speaking at the groundbreaking and contract signing ceremony for the redevelopment of the Elmore Stoutt High School campus, Smith, who is also a Territorial At-Large Representative, said teachers are vital to the progression of the Virgin Islands’ society as they continue to produce nation builders.

Smith said most of the lawyers, doctors, contractors, businessmen and other professionals who are contributing to the upliftment of the Virgin Islands have all passed through teachers at the different schools in the territory.

“We need to remember this, and we need to pay attention to this. So, today, I am here to say I want to see us raise the pension for the teachers to make sure they are paid properly after they are retired,” the Deputy Speaker said.

“For teachers, work never finishes. It never finishes. So, we have to find a way that can compensate our teachers in a way that can impact their lives because they are always teaching no matter what happens. When you look at it, a teacher is the one who teaches the same contractors [here today] and as I said, their work never ends,” the Territorial At-Large Representative added.

Smith noted that his teachers aided in building his future and his overall development.

“They are the ones who build our future; they made us who we are today, and I am asking, and I am telling my members, I am coming to the House of Assembly when we have it again and I going to ask for increase in pension,” Smith said.

“I am not saying that other people don’t deserve it because we have to look on the pension plan on a whole but for now I am saying, let us give our teachers more,” the Deputy Speaker continued.